U.S. Senate Committee OKs Bill to Fund USU, Federal Ag Projects

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill Thursday [July 19, 2007] that will provide more than $17 million for Utah State University projects or for federal projects housed at the university.

The funding includes $8 million for the planning, design and preliminary stages of construction of a new Agriculture Research Center that will expand USU’s leadership in agriculture research in the West.

 

“This is great news as it is a resounding vote of confidence both for Utah State University’s own research strengths and for the successful collaborative programs we have forged over the years with federal agencies,” said USU President Stan L. Albrecht. “This generous support is evidence that the senate recognizes Utah State’s historic and important role as the state’s land-grant university. It is a reminder of our successes in cultivating partnerships between local, state and federal agencies, partnerships that are in the best interest of our citizens and communities.”

 

Albrecht said the funding for the ARC building is particularly important this year as it represents a significant step forward in the construction process. Along with generous state support committed this year, the federal funds will help accelerate construction of the research, teaching and services facility.

 

The ARC building will provide space to enhance collaborative opportunities between USU faculty, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Agriculture Research Service researchers. The building will replace the aging agricultural science facilities and will provide USU with a state-of-the-art, high-tech facility connected to three different labs on campus.

 

Albrecht took care to note that not all the $17 million is coming directly to USU. Approximately $10 million of the total is going to important federal projects housed at the university, including the Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, the Predator Ecology Research Station at the Wildlife Research Center, a forage and range research project, and the Agriculture Research Center.

 

Noelle Cockett, USU vice president for Extension and dean of the College of Agriculture, said Utah Sen. Bob Bennett deserves particular credit for helping to move this bill forward in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Bennett is ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.

 

“We certainly have to thank Senator Bennett for recognizing the legacy of research, teaching and our Extension role in agriculture and many related fields,” Cockett said. “We greatly appreciate his confidence in the programs and partnerships in agriculture we’ve developed at Utah State. This funding is important to people in Utah and in our entire western region.”

 

The funding is part of the fiscal year 2008 spending bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

Bennett said that every Utah resident, from the farmers and ranchers who depend on the land for their livelihood, to families who trust that the food they buy at local markets is safe, relies on the agriculture programs funded in this bill.

 

“I am pleased we were able to set aside a large portion of this funding to enhance learning opportunities for USU students, who continue to pioneer ground breaking research,” Bennett said.

 

 Below are USU projects included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

 

 

Funding will support the planning, design, and preliminary stages of construction for a new USU facility that will bolster 21st Century research, teaching, and services, and make USU the focus of agriculture research in the West. The building will provide space to enhance collaborative opportunities between USU faculty, USDA and Agriculture Research Service (ARS) researchers. The planned building will replace the aging agricultural science facilities and will provide USU with a state-of-the-art, high-tech facility connected to three different labs on campus.

 

 

The Jack H. Berryman Institute is a collaborative program with Mississippi State University that researches scientifically based solutions for wildlife disease threats and wildlife economics in the western U.S. Since its creation in 1993, the purpose of the Institute is to give students opportunities for inter-institutional, multi-disciplinary research and outreach programs and create a better educated workforce to resolve human-wildlife problems in the U.S. This funding will expand the institute to start addressing relevant eastern issues. In the last four years, Bennett has obtained nearly $5.5 million for the Institute.

 

 

The $750,000 will be used for computing equipment and grants for faculty and students. The ACRES system will help integrate high performance computing technologies into agricultural and natural resource programs at USDA. Bennett has secured over $1 million for this project over the last two years.

 

 

The Utah Botanical Center serves as a regional learning and research center to promote natural resource conservation. Research will support production of low water-use plants in sustainable home landscapes for high-desert environments. Over the last four years, Bennett has garnered over $3.2 million to continue this important research.

 

 

Utah and the Intermountain West experience periodic droughts that severely limit water supplies, damage agriculture products, and threaten economic growth. This initiative seeks to develop accurate prediction of water yield, improved agricultural irrigation, and better management of urban water demand.

 

 

This lab conducts pollen research that helps farmers increase their crop yields. The honeybee colony population in the U.S. is currently experiencing a significant collapse and beekeepers throughout the country are reporting losses. It is estimated that bee pollination, which farmers rely on for crop production, is responsible for 30 percent of the U.S. food supply. The sudden loss of colonies could lead to food supply shortages. This funding and research at USU are critical to further explore the current bee shortage and the effects of pollen on crop production.

 

 

This project continues research on large predators of Utah and the Intermountain West, and particularly how they affect the livestock industry. The center is located in Millville, Utah. Bennett secured $1.38 million in fiscal year 2006 for the center.

 

 

In collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Xiamen University and the Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agricultural and Forestry of the People's Republic of China, USU will develop joint research programs in agricultural biotechnology including infectious diseases, livestock cloning and genetics, crop production, and irrigation. The funding will be used for professional exchange, intensive short courses, training, and internships in an effort to promote greater economic and agricultural development in the U.S. and China.

 

 

High production in agricultural regions requires producers to modify their existing practices to reduce harmful emissions like diesel powered machinery, harvest operations and burning. Emissions can impact human health, property values and the environment. These funds will support the continuation of a program that develops and evaluates agricultural emissions measurement procedures and determines the environmental benefits of reduced emissions to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards and improve air quality for Utahns.

 

 

The center conducts research on the impact public land ownership has on rural communities, and particularly their ability to meet other budgetary demands like health care and education. Funding will be used for research materials, publication costs, and travel to 19 Utah counties. Bennett has secured nearly $700,000 in the past four years for the project.

 

 

Research studies through the program will examine how organisms interact with their environment by extracting information from existing plants, animals, and microbes genome sequences. Bennett has secured over $4 million for the project since fiscal year 2004.

 

 

This will complete a USU research project, affiliated with the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, that focuses on the integration of improved forage species and pastures, resulting in a system that can better meet the needs of the livestock industry. Funding will primarily be used to fund graduate and undergraduate student research. Over the last four years, Bennett has secured nearly $900,000 for the research.

 

 

Funds will continue research on grasses that use less water, use it more efficiently and perform well with poor quality irrigation water.

 

Writer: Tim Vitale, 435-797-1356, tim.vitale@usu.edu