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Maine Fears
Cuts to Agricultural Programs
By: Bart Jansen
University of Maine officials and agricultural
advocates are meeting this week with the state's
congressional delegation to oppose President
Bush's proposed budget cuts for research on
potatoes, Maine's No. 1 crop, and blueberries,
the state's signature product. Bruce Wiersma,
dean of the college of natural sciences,
forestry and agriculture in Orono, met Tuesday
with lawmakers to urge them to continue federal
funding that totaled $2.3 million this year. The
money in turn generates $5.2 million in state
appropriations and another $10 million in
industry contributions, contracts and farm and
timber sales, which advocates worry will fall
apart without the federal share.
"If I lose the federal share, I'm out of
business," Wiersma said.
Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine
Potato Board, will meet this morning with
lawmakers to say the funding is crucial to the
industry.
"That's the backbone of what sustains the
infrastructure there," he said.
Lawmakers vowed to fight for the funding,
although none serves on the Appropriations
Committees, where decisions will be made.
Congress will debate spending priorities for
months.
"What is clear is that the result of these cuts
could prove disastrous, and that is the message
I will deliver to my colleagues in Congress,"
said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called restoration
of the funding a top priority of hers.
"Agriculture is an important component of our
state's economy, and cuts . . . would have a
devastating effect on Maine's research
capabilities," Collins said.
Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, worried about the
loss of research facilities in Presque Isle,
Monmouth, Jonesboro, Old Town and Bradley.
In the year starting Oct. 1, Bush proposed to
cut Hatch Act funding to $89 million from $179
million and McIntire-Stennis Cooperative
Forestry to $11 million from $22 million. The
budget also would eliminate Animal Health and
Disease, which got $5 million this year. The
Hatch and McIntire funding would be eliminated
the following year.
The Hatch and McIntire-Stennis programs pay for
assistant jobs for 50 graduate students, all of
which would be lost. That would make it harder
for Maine to recruit top master's or doctoral
candidates, who bring critical innovations in
farming, forestry and fisheries industries,
Wiersma said.
The loss of funding would also close five
experimental farms, the university forest, the
animal diagnostic lab, soils analysis lab and
ornamentals garden and greenhouses.
The research helps chart diseases, both existing
and new ones, with strategies for blunting them.
For example, potatoes can be bred to resist
disease in a process that is prohibitive for
farmers to attempt.
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