03/01/05 Formula fund dilmena?, Part 1

Since Saturday, a group of Deans representing Colleges of Agriculture among the various land grant schools across the nation have been meeting in Washington D.C.. Now usually the annual meeting is not so eventful. This year, there is a greater sense of urgency and advocacy. So much so that the Deans and their respective grower representatives are spending today and tomorrow on Capitol Hill in some very passionate discussions. HAMMEL: This is one time that I am sure that each institution in each state will be taking that forward to their Senators and their Representatives talking about both the issues of needs within their state as well as the need to maintain federal formula funding to support agriculture research in the local level, that is within their respective states and region. That's John Hammel, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho. And what he is referring to when he mentions formula funds is the federal program that faces a two year phase out towards elimination under the Bush Administration's proposed fiscal year 2006 budget. HAMMEL: What these funds support depending upon what each institution receives and that's based on the number of primarily your per cent of rural population, number of farms, again it's a formula by which they appropriate these funds, and different land grants do them differently. But for the most part, the formula funds at U of I, and other Northwest land grants like Washington State University and Oregon State University are used to fund not only the various research programs conducted by ag research facilities, but just as important, part or all of the salaries for staff at those facilities. But it is not just that primary effect that has Dean of Colleges of Ag concerned about the proposal. Thayne Dutson is the Dean of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, and he believes the quality of service to the customer&meaning those in ag that use the Colleges of Ag, their research and extension programs & will significantly be affected. DUTSON: We feel the partnership that we have with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an important one, and its been what has created the most effective agricultural system in the world is that partnerships between the land grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and we feel that with this proposal that will go away. And that impact is just the tip of the iceberg in the minds of the Deans. More will be explored in future programs.