Thanks fo supporting the Leopold Center. At 06:32 AM 05/24/2002 -0500, you wrote: >Thanks for the info Bill. I too think the Governor is our best hope on >this issue >at this time. > >William Witt wrote: > > > The Leopold Center is under ISU, but it is largely funded through a tax on > > herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer. I believe the Republicans are > > killing it as a favor to a number of special interests, especially the > > ag-chem dealers and their lobbyist, Mona Bond. (They sliced off the > funding > > for ICASH at the U of I last year, without explanation--but the > > beneficiaries are the same.) > > > > Governor Vilsack indicated that he is going to approve the revised FY 03 > > budget that the Republicans will jam down our throats next Tuesday. That > > will mean a 80 percent cut to REAP, 66 percent cut to NRCS cost-share, and > > so on. Those programs will suffer mightily, but they can be revived. But > > the Leopold Center, once strangled, will not recover. I urged him to > > line-item veto the Leopold Center cut, since he will be authorized to draw > > down additional funds as needed from the cash reserve account. > > > > Bill Witt > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements > > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charles Winterwood > > Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2002 3:12 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Fwd: Action Alert- Budget Cuts Threaten Iowa > Environmental > > Programs > > > > iS THE lEOPOLD cENTER UNDER THE isu BUDGET OR THE > > dEPT. OF aG BUDGET OR ITS OWN BUDGET? > > > > c > > CHARLIE > > > > --- Peggy Murdock <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Someone should write up a report on the tax breaks > > > that are given to CAFOs, > > > naming names, and relate this directly to the budget > > > shortfall. I > > > > > > Peggy Murdock > > > > > > At 12:09 PM 5/22/2002 -0400, you wrote: > > > >ACTION ALERT from the Iowa Environmental Council: > > > >BUDGET CUTS COULD CLOSE THE LEOPOLD CENTER > > > > > > > >The Governor will convene a special session of the > > > Legislature next > > > >Tuesday, May 28 to deal with the state's deepening > > > budget crises. More > > > >cuts need to be made to the coming fiscal year > > > (FY03) budget in light of > > > >reduced revenue projections. > > > > > > > >In the proposed Republican budget-released > > > yesterday-environmental funding > > > >takes a disproportionately large cut. > > > > > > > >Environmental programs currently get only 1.2% of > > > general fund and > > > >infrastructure appropriations, but 9% of the > > > proposed cuts comes on the > > > >back of environmental programs. Iowa already is > > > last in the nation in per > > > >capita spending on the environment, and the > > > proposed cuts put us even > > > >farther behind. If the cuts take effect, Iowa will > > > spend only 0.7% of the > > > >state budget on environmental protection. > > > > > > > >The tragedy of these cuts and anemic funding is > > > that these environmental > > > >programs are proactive, preventative solutions to > > > problems. Iowa's > > > >environmental initiatives are some of the most > > > cost-effective public > > > >expenditures, when we consider the cost of clean up > > > or restoration after > > > >damage has already occurred. They're in line with > > > a core Iowa value-"An > > > >ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." > > > Today's costs for these > > > >programs are minuscule compared to the benefits > > > Iowa receives for the > > > >tomorrows to come. > > > > > > > >You need to contact Legislators and the Governor > > > before Tuesday and tell > > > >them to protect Iowa's environmental spending in > > > the Environment First > > > >Fund, and particularly the Leopold Center for > > > Sustainable Agriculture. > > > > > > > >*************************************** > > > >ENVIRONMENT FIRST FUND > > > > > > > >The Council is shocked at the proposed cuts to the > > > Environment First > > > >Fund. This fund was created just two years ago and > > > was hailed as a great > > > >step forward in Iowa's commitment to the > > > environment. The proposed budget > > > >cuts this fund by 53%-to less than $12.4 million > > > out. > > > > > > > >The Environment First Fund includes appropriations > > > for the following > > > >programs, among others: > > > > > > > >Farm Demonstration Program > > > >REAP > > > >Ag Drainage Well closure > > > >Soil Conservation Cost Sharing > > > >Brownfield Redevelopment > > > >Geographic Information System Development > > > >Wetland Incentive Program > > > >Watershed Protection Plan > > > >Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program > > > >Water Quality Monitoring > > > >Volunteer Water Monitoring (IOWATER) > > > >Water Quality Protection > > > >Air Quality Monitoring Program > > > >Lake Dredging > > > > > > > >While not all of these programs suffer cuts, > > > several programs are > > > >completely eliminated in the Republican's > > > budget-such as Brownfield > > > >Redevelopment and Farm Demonstration. Others are > > > severely cut. REAP > > > >suffers an 80% cut, from $10 million to $2 > > > million-ending many local > > > >community improvement projects. > > > > > > > > > > > >************************************* > > > >LEOPOLD CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE > > > > > > > >Of particular concern to the Council is the drastic > > > cut to the Leopold > > > >Center for Sustainable Agriculture. On the table > > > is a cut of $1 million, > > > >reducing the Center's budget by 86%. The budget > > > cut from $1.16 million > > > >last year to less than $200,000 effectively ends > > > this nationally > > > >recognized, innovative program supporting > > > sustainable agricultural > > > >development. > > > > > > > >Losing the Leopold Center would be a catastrophe. > > > The Center serves as an > > > >incubator for sustainable agricultural practices > > > that will pay significant > > > >dividends down the road-in cleaner water, less soil > > > erosion, and greater > > > >agricultural vitality. These budget cuts to the > > > Leopold Center today > > > >sacrifice significant economic and environmental > > > benefits tomorrow. > > > > > > > >The Leopold Center has helped advance such > > > promising innovations as: > > > > > > > >… The buffer strip/watershed reconstruction > > > project at Bear Creek-which > > > >has been designated as a National Demonstration > > > Watershed. Expanding use > > > >of the practices learned in Bear Creek drastically > > > reduces soil erosion, > > > >improves water quality, and expands wildlife > > > habitat. > > > >… Hoop house hog confinement systems-which are > > > environmentally and > > > >animal friendly. > > > >… Early support for Iowa's grape and wine > > > industry-which has the > > > >potential to impact agricultural diversity, value > > > added production, and > > > >tourism. > > > >… Sole support of long-term research by ISU's > > > only organic crop > > > >specialist-which provides a key component in Iowa's > > > growing organic > > > >production sector (from 13,000 acres in 1995 to > > > 150,000 in 1999). > > > >… Facilitation of local food systems-which paved > > > the way for creation of > > > >Iowa's Local Food Task Force and the Governor's > > > Food Policy Council. This > > > >trend promises to reunite rural producers and urban > > > consumers in a vibrant > > > >food production and distribution model. > > > > > > > >The proposed Republican budget cuts to the Leopold > > > Center for Sustainable > > > >Agriculture are shortsighted. Such a loss would > > > have detrimental > > > >long-term impacts on the viability of Iowa's > > > agricultural economic > > > >base. The cuts sacrifice one of the most > > > innovation and beneficial > > > >long-term investment we can make with public money. > > > > > > > >If farmers are to meet the challenge of better > > > environmental stewardship, > > > >we must not stop developing new methods and better > > > tools for them to > > > >use. And if we truly seek means to help keep > > > family farms viable and > > > >prosperous, we cannot allow these cuts to the > > > Leopold Center-one of the > > > >most innovative resources supporting family > > > farmers. > > > > > > > > > > > >PLEASE CONTACT THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR LEGISLATOR > > > THIS WEEK AND OVER THE > > > >HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PRESERVE THE > > > LEOPOLD CENTER, TO NOT > > > >THROW AWAY WHAT WE'VE WORKED SO HARD TO BUILD. > > > > > > > >*********************************** > > > >CONTACT INFORMATION > > > > > > > >Please contact the following: > > > > > > > >1. Your own state representative. Home and office > > > contact information can > > > >be found at the Iowa General Assembly website at > > > ><http://www.legis.state.is.us>. Or call the House > > > switchboard at > > > >515.281.3221. > > > > > > > >2. Your own state senator. 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