The Farm Bill

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The Farm Bill

• Joint ECOP/ESCOP
• Summer 02
• Stan Johnson and Terry Nipp

2
Farm Bill Task Force

• Most Task Force recommendations included in the
  Farm Bill
• Seek new funding
• Innovative approaches
• Build doorways to other agencies in USDA
• Seek inclusion in a number of titles
• Address management issues

3
Farm Bill Task Force

• Among lessons learned --
• Sustain the Task Force to ensure that we have a
  working body of expertise
• Break up the workload!
• Combine leadership and program expertise
• Organize to work with other portions of USDA, in
  coordination with REE

4
Farm Bill Task Force

• Next steps
• BAA has formed permanent Task Force
• Organized subcommittees by Title
• REE Moser
• Forestry Watson
• Conservation Curl
• Rural Development Johnson
• Energy Fretz
• Others to be formed
• Will form working subcommittees

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Farm Bill Task Force

• Will convey recommendations to the BAC
• Will work to build new partnerships with other
  USDA agencies
• In implementation of their programs
• In providing research and education capacities
• In building new funding opportunities

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Farm Bill Highlights

• REE Title
• Conservation
• Forestry
• Rural Development
• Energy

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REE Funding

• IFAFS Total mandatory funding 1.3 billion
• Ramps up to 200 million / year
• Sense of Congress to support a doubling of
  funding for REE
• Equipment Grants
• Grants as much as 500,000 each

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REE Mechanisms

• Program Flexibility
• Research formula fund carry-over
• Joint Request For Proposals
• Authorizes USDA to develop joint RFPs with other
  federal agencies
• Schedule A Appointments
• Requested resolution included

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REE Institutions

• 1890s
• Facilities - increased authorization
• Centennial gt Virtual Centers
• Formula fund ratios
• Matching requirements
• Tribal Colleges
• Endowment - changed authorization
• Definitions
• Sec. 406 eligibility

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REE Institutions

• Territories
• Matching requirement
• Resident instruction and distance education
  grants
• Definitions

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REE Issues

• Biosecurity
• Facilities grants
• 10 million/yr for expansion and security, 50
  non-federal cost share.
• Clarifies authority of USDA
• Biotechnology
• Increases levy on biotechnology outlays to 2 for
  risk assessment
• GMO added to high priority research
• Competitive grants program for biotech in the
  developing world.

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REE Issues

• Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
• Youth Programs
• 8 million in mandatory funding in FY02
• Subsequent years subject to appropriations
• Establish pilot programs in rural areas
• Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, National 4-H Council,
  and National FFA organization may apply directly

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REE - Remaining Topics

• Facilities Grants
• Senate authorized competitive facilities grants.
• House opposed because the facilities are
  state-owned.
• Multi-State Requirements
• Senate clarified reporting requirements for
  multi-state and integrated programs.
• House opposed due to a mistaken perception that
  it circumvented standard accounting practices.

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REE - Remaining Topics

• Indirect Costs
• Senate replaced indirect cost cap with a
  negotiated indirect cost recovery rate with each
  university.
• House opposed.
• The compromise was the competitive grants for
  research equipment.

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Conservation Title

• 17.1 billion in mandatory funding over 5 five
  years.
• Greatly expanded EQIP program
• New Conservation Security Program (CSP).
• Also, increased funding for
• The Conservation Reserve Program
• Grasslands Reserve Program
• Farmland Protection Program,
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

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Conservation Title gt REE

• REE implications --
• Extended eligibility of third party vendors to
  provide technical assistance.
• The manager's report explains that education,
  monitoring, and assessment programs should become
  part of technical assistance.
• Forestry section addresses the need for education
  in successful implementation of conservation
  programs 

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Forestry Title

• Repealed the Forestry Incentives Program and the
  Stewardship Incentive Program and created the
  Forest Land Enhancement Program in its place.
• Provide cost-share assistance to non-industrial
  private forest owners to implement sustainable
  forestry practices.
• Funded at 100 million in mandatory funds, FY03 -
  FY07.

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Forestry Title gt REE

• Implications for REE --
• Doubled authorized funding for the Renewable
  Resources Extension Act (RREA) to 30 million.
• Authorized a Sustainable Forestry Outreach
  Initiative 
• New program for state foresters
• Implement wildfire and community protection
  planning as well as educational programs for
  landowners.

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Forestry Title gt REE

• McIntire-Stennis
• Importance affirmed
• Manager's Report
• Identifies the need for education in successful
  implementation of cost-share conservation
  programs
• Identifies universities as uniquely equipped to
  assist in the delivery of educational outreach to
  forest landowners.

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Rural Development

• Mandatory programs --
• Rural Strategic Investment Program
• Value-Added Agriculture Product Market
  Development Grants
• Agriculture Innovation Center Demonstration
  Program.
• Authorized
• Grants to train farm workers in new technologies
• SEARCH grants for communities to bring them into
  compliance with environmental laws.
•  

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Rural Development gt REE

• Rural Electronic Commerce Extension Program
• For state extension to provide educational
  programming and business development assistance
  in e-commerce to rural businesses.
• Authorizes 60 million annually for a competitive
  grants program.
• Of which, 20 million to Regional Rural
  Development Centers.
• IFAFS
• Rural development provisions

22
Energy Title

• New Title
• Broadened definition
• Biomass now includes animal by-products
• Biomass RD
• Authorized in the Crop Insurance Act of 2000.
• Extended and expanded.

23
Energy Title

• Of interest --
• Biodiesel Fuel Education Program
• Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development
  Program
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies.
• The Managers' report
• Encourages CSREES to provide education and
  technical assistance to agricultural producers
  for the development of renewable energy sources.

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