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Sen.
Salazar Announces $5.4M in Funding for Colorado Agriculture Priorities
WASHINGTON, DC
- Today, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Agriculture,
Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Bill
for Fiscal Year 2009. At the request of United States Senator Ken Salazar,
the bill includes approximately $5.4 million for agriculture research
and water conservation in Colorado.
“Colorado is home
to some of the best agricultural research institutions in the country,”
said Senator Salazar. “Our investments in agricultural
research will enable our scientists to improve the safety of our food
supply and develop innovative crop, water, and animal management practices
that will boost the yields and profits of Colorado’s farmers and ranchers.
I am particularly proud of the efforts of researchers at Colorado State
University and the Agriculture Research Station in Akron, and will work
with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure they have the resources needed
to continue their important work on behalf of American agriculture.
“At the same time,
the bill provides much-needed assistance to our drought-stricken water
users in the South Platte Basin, who, thanks to the funds provided,
will be able to more accurately track their water usage and better comply
with state water use limits. Accurate and measurable data will allow
our farmers, ranchers and other water users to receive their fair water
allocations and ensure that the state of Colorado meets its downstream
water obligations.
“Finally, the bill
includes legislative language equivalent to The Foot and Mouth Disease
Prevention Act, of which I am a co-sponsor, to prohibit the importation
of livestock from Argentina until USDA can certify that Argentinian
beef is free of Foot and Mouth Disease, which continues to afflict cattle
herds in Argentina and neighboring countries. This is essential to protecting
our livestock herds, and I am pleased the committee took action to address
this urgent issue.”
Agricultural
Research Priorities
- $1.968m for Akron
Agricultural Research Station (ARS):
The Administration’s proposed FY09 budget called for a drastic 40
percent cut in funding for Akron ARS. Senator Salazar successfully
fought this cut and protected the current funding level of $1.968
million for FY09. With these funds, Akron ARS researchers will be
able to continue research efforts focused on developing sustainable
soil and crop management practices for the Central Great Plains region
and identifying technologies that maximize the responsible use of
the region’s soil and water resources.
- $38,000 for Chronic
Wasting Disease Research at the CO Department of Natural Resources:
The Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service is an
important source of funding for state-run programs aimed at combating
chronic wasting disease (CWD), which has been identified as a national
problem by wildlife and agricultural agencies. In spite of a concerted
testing and surveillance effort, the Colorado Division of Wildlife
has noted that CWD continues to spread in populations of wild deer
and elk populations in new areas of the state. Funds will be used
to help CO DNR to contain and respond to CWD in deer and elk herds.
The following Colorado
State University (CSU) research projects received funding:
- $1.5m for Ultraviolet-B
Radiation Data Collection & Monitoring: This
program, which is based at CSU, collaborates with agricultural researchers
at six Land Grant Universities throughout the country to study the
response of economically important crops such as corn, cotton, soybean,
and sorghum to UV-B and other climate stressors.
- $655,000 for
the National Beef Genetic Evaluation Consortium: The United
States’ beef cattle industry provides affordable, high quality red
meat to American and international consumers and plays an important
role in rural America’s economy. Genetic evaluation enhances the global
competitiveness of American producers and represents a wise investment
of federal dollars. Specifically, the funds will be used for the consortium
to research, produce, evaluate, and distribute beef cattle genetic
information.
- $609,000 for
the Program for Economically Important Infectious Animal Diseases
(PEEIIAD): PEIIAD has been operating since 1998 and provides
timely, multidisciplinary research focused entirely on animal diseases
that threaten the US food supply and/or cause economic losses for
animal agriculture on a local, national and international scale. Funds
will be used to research animal diseases such as avian influenza,
BSE, CWD, Vesicular stomatitis, brucellosis, scrapie, Food and Mouth
Disease, and West Nile Virus.
- $228,000 for
Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance, Stress Tolerance and Quality Enhancement
of Wheat Project: Funding will be used to research wheat-based
cropping systems that are critical to the economic stability of the
United States and Colorado by developing a wheat variety that is resistant
to the Russian Wheat Aphid, which has caused direct losses of over
$11 million annually to the Colorado and central Great Plains economies.
CSU uses new technologies developed through this program to accelerate
the identification of useful genes and to incorporate these genes
into new varieties, which will enhance the yield and safety of our
domestic wheat crop. The funds are used by CSU scientists, Colorado
farmers, and farmers in other central Great Plains states.
Water Conservation
- $400,000 for
federal cost-share for Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
(CCWCD) improvements in the South Platte River basin: The
CCWCD seeks to fully implement water management system improvements
in the South Platte River basin by installing totalizing flow meters
as well as automated data loggers on 300 of 1500 district wells. Declining
water availability, combined with increasing demand for water among
competing interests – namely agricultural, municipal, industrial and
environmental users – warrants implementation of this program to best
manage available supplies.
The FY09 Agriculture, Rural
Development, and Food & Drug Administration Appropriations Bill
now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
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