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To Members of the NASULGC System:
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching
- Council on Governmental Affairs
As you know, in addition to the NASULGC system's funding
requests for USDA-CSREES, the Budget and Advocacy Committee and
the Cornerstone Team have been working for many years on other
appropriations bills, including the Interior and Environment and
Department of Homeland Security measures. Both of these bills
have been approved in their respective subcommittees and are to
be marked up in full committee this week. The report language
quoted below is not expected to change.
Interior and Environment:
Forest Service R&D. The F.Y. 2008 Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for U.S.
Forest Service programs. The report to accompany this bill makes
this statement about Forest Service R&D:
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"Forest and rangeland research and
development sponsors basic and applied scientific
research. This research provides both credible and
relevant knowledge about forests and rangelands and
new technologies that can be used to sustain the
health, productivity, and diversity of private and
public lands to meet the needs of present and future
generations. Research is conducted across the U.S.
through six research stations, the Forest Product
Laboratory, and the International Institute of
Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico, as well as
cooperative research efforts with many of the
Nation’s universities.
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Appropriation enacted, 2007 |
$280,488,000 |
| Budget
estimate, 2008 |
263,000,000 |
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Recommended, 2008 |
295,937,000 |
| Comparison: |
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Appropriation, 2007 |
+15,449,000 |
| Budget
estimate, 2008 |
+32,937,000 |
The Committee recommends
$295,937,000 for forest and rangeland research, an
increase of $32,937,000 above the budget request and
$15,449,000 above the fiscal year 2007 funding
level. The Committee was very concerned about the
large cuts to basic and applied research sought by
the Administration. Forest Service science is
important, and therefore the Committee
recommendation provides a $10,000,000 increase above
the fiscal year 2007 enacted level to both cover
fixed costs and to reestablish fundamental, core
research efforts. Given this increase, the Committee
anticipates that there is no need to close any
existing Forest Service research facility. In
addition, the Committee recommendation includes
$2,500,000 as a non-specified increase for the
Forest Service global climate change program. The
Service should notify the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations within 60 days of
enactment of its desired use of these climate
research funds." |
The Interior and Environment
Appropriations bill is scheduled to be marked up by the full
House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, June 7.
DHS
Appropriations:
University Based Centers of Excellence & Fellowships.
The F.Y. 2008 Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Appropriations bill is scheduled to be marked up by the full House
Appropriations Committee today. The report to accompany the
bill contains the following language:
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"The Committee recommends
$48,575,000 for University programs, $9,875,000
more than requested. This level would restore
funding to the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
Additional funding is critical to the success of
this program because S&T will award four new
University Centers of Excellence programs late
in fiscal year 2007. Without additional funding,
each current University Center of Excellence
program would be provided with less funding in
fiscal year 2008. The Committee directs S&T to
report on how these additional funds will be
allocated 60 days after enactment of this Act.
S&T shall report to the Committee, no later than
February 1, 2008, on how the Directorate selects
universities for a Center of Excellence contract
award, determines the type of research in which
each Center will specialize, and evaluates the
quality of work received from Centers, including
an evaluation of the quality of the work
received to date from current Centers. As part
of this report, S&T shall include an analysis of
the impact a time limit may have on the quality
and breadth of research conducted on behalf of
the Directorate.
The Committee notes the importance of using
behavioral and social sciences to detect,
analyze, and better understand and prevent
threats posed by terrorists and commends the
Department for elevating the status of
behavioral science with the establishment of a
new Human Factors Division. To support this
initiative, the Committee urges continued
support for the University Program’s scholars
and fellows program, which is critical to the
development of the next generation of homeland
security scientists.
The Committee has not yet approved S&T’s
proposal to limit the scholars and fellows
program to these Centers of Excellence. Prior to
proceeding with this program change, the
Committee directs S&T to contract with an
independent educational organization with
higher-education expertise to review the goals,
objectives, size and suggested implementation of
the scholars and fellows program. This review
should be completed and submitted to the
Committee within nine months." |
National Bio and Agrodefense Facility. As you may know, the
federal government has identified the need for safe, secure, and
state-of-the-art biocontainment laboratories that research and
develop diagnostic capabilities for foreign animal and zoonotic
diseases. At present there are no facilities in the United
States that are adequate to meet these national needs.
To address the issue, in January 2006 DHS and its federal
partners initiated plans for a National Bio and Agrodefense
Facility (NBAF) that will combine efforts of researchers from
the US Department of Agriculture, the US Department of Health
and Human Services, and from Homeland Security.
In March 2006, the DHS received 29 applications from states
interested in hosting the NBAF. DHS announced on August 9, 2006
that the list had been narrowed to 18 potential sites
representing 14 consortia. It is expected that by mid-2007 DHS
will further narrow the list of candidates to a handful of
sites. These sites will undergo an in-depth 18-24 month long
evaluation. A final decision is expected to be made before the
end of 2008. Construction of the facility will take place from
2009 to 2013.
The DHS Appropriations bill included $11 million in funding for
the next stage of the NBAF project. The report states: "This
funding will be used to continue environmental studies necessary
to determine which site will be selected for this
next-generation biological and agricultural defense facility."
The Cornerstone Team
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