AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 

AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED 

AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2009 

HEARINGS 

BEFORE A 

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND 

DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 

ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut, Chairwoman 

MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York 

SAM FARR, California 

ALLEN BOYD, Florida 

SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR., Georgia 

MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio 

JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois 

STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey 

JACK KINGSTON, Georgia 

TOM LATHAM, Iowa 

JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri 

RAY LAHOOD, Illinois 

RODNEY ALEXANDER, Louisiana 

NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Obey, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Lewis, as Ranking 

Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees. 

MARTHA FOLEY, LESLIE BARRACK, JASON WELLER, and MATT SMITH, 

Staff Assistants 

PART 6 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Research, Education and Economics 

( 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations 


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PART 6—AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, 

AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2009 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with HEARING
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 

AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED 

AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2009 

HEARINGS 

BEFORE A 

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE 

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND 

DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 

ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut, Chairwoman 

MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York 

SAM FARR, California 

ALLEN BOYD, Florida 

SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR., Georgia 

MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio 

JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois 

STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey 

JACK KINGSTON, Georgia 

TOM LATHAM, Iowa 

JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri 

RAY LAHOOD, Illinois 

RODNEY ALEXANDER, Louisiana 

NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Obey, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Lewis, as Ranking 

Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees. 

MARTHA FOLEY, LESLIE BARRACK, JASON WELLER, and MATT SMITH, 

Staff Assistants 

PART 6 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Research, Education and Economics 

( 

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

48–544 WASHINGTON : 2009 


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COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 

DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin, Chairman 

JOHN P. MURTHA, Pennsylvania 

NORMAN D. DICKS, Washington 

ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia 

MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio 

PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana 

NITA M. LOWEY, New York 

JOSE ́ E. SERRANO, New York 

ROSA L. DELAURO, Connecticut 

JAMES P. MORAN, Virginia 

JOHN W. OLVER, Massachusetts 

ED PASTOR, Arizona 

DAVID E. PRICE, North Carolina 

CHET EDWARDS, Texas 

ROBERT E. ‘‘BUD’’ CRAMER, JR., Alabama 

PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island 

MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York 

LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD, California 

SAM FARR, California 

JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois 

CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK, Michigan 

ALLEN BOYD, Florida 

CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania 

STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey 

SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR., Georgia 

MARION BERRY, Arkansas 

BARBARA LEE, California 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

ADAM SCHIFF, California 

MICHAEL HONDA, California 

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota 

STEVE ISRAEL, New York 

TIM RYAN, Ohio 

C.A. ‘‘DUTCH’’ RUPPERSBERGER, Maryland 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida 

CIRO RODRIGUEZ, Texas 

JERRY LEWIS, California 

C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida 

RALPH REGULA, Ohio 

HAROLD ROGERS, Kentucky 

FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia 

JAMES T. WALSH, New York 

DAVID L. HOBSON, Ohio 

JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan 

JACK KINGSTON, Georgia 

RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey 

TODD TIAHRT, Kansas 

ZACH WAMP, Tennessee 

TOM LATHAM, Iowa 

ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama 

JO ANN EMERSON, Missouri 

KAY GRANGER, Texas 

JOHN E. PETERSON, Pennsylvania 

VIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., Virginia 

RAY LAHOOD, Illinois 

DAVE WELDON, Florida 

MICHAEL K. SIMPSON, Idaho 

JOHN ABNEY CULBERSON, Texas 

MARK STEVEN KIRK, Illinois 

ANDER CRENSHAW, Florida 

DENNIS R. REHBERG, Montana 

JOHN R. CARTER, Texas 

RODNEY ALEXANDER, Louisiana 

KEN CALVERT, California 

JO BONNER, Alabama 

ROB NABORS, Clerk and Staff Director 

(II)


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AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 

AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 

2009 

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008. 

RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ECONOMICS BUDGET 

WITNESSES 

GALE A. BUCHANAN, UNDER SECRETARY, RESEARCH, EDUCATION, 

AND ECONOMICS 

MERLE D. PIERSON, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY, RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS 

EDWARD B. KNIPLING, ADMINISTRATOR, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 

SERVICE 

COLIEN HEFFERAN, ADMINISTRATOR, COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE 

KATHERINE R. SMITH, ADMINISTRATOR, ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE 

JOSEPH T. REILLY, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE 

W. SCOTT STEELE, BUDGET OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Ms. DELAURO. The committee is called to order. Thank you. I 

would very much like to welcome Under Secretary Buchanan, Deputy Under Secretary Pierson, Administrators Knipling, Hefferan, 

and Smith. Did I get everyone? And Mr. Reilly. Okay. Very good. 

Sorry. And welcome to Scott Steele. 

Mr. STEELE. Thank you. 

Ms. DELAURO. We all know that the research, economics, and extension budget is critical to sustaining America’s agriculture place 

in the world as a leader in the scientific discovery and development. The results of the research are critical to crop development, 

to nutrition, to food safety, competitiveness, international trade, 

even homeland security. 

Much of the good work is being done within our impressive land 

grant university system and in our experiment station. Some Connecticut institutions, for example, have used a stable foundation of 

predictable formula funds that had been available for years in 

order to hone research and respond immediately to plant and animal disease outbreaks such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease. 

Indeed, the Connecticut agricultural experiment station, which is 

just about two blocks from my home in New Haven—and, by the 

way, the first agricultural experiment station in the country—they 

were instrumental in uncovering the problems involving imports 


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from China last year that discovered components of antifreeze in 

toothpaste imported from China, and played a key role in discovering a high concentration of lead in toys imported from China. The 

same station also was part of the network of labs that examined 

pet food that was contaminated with melamine last year. 

This is the type of work that represents an opportunity for the 

state to become one of the first to detect potentially dangerous outbreaks, as well as one of the first to respond. It is urgent work taking place at the Connecticut agricultural experiment station with 

a clear purpose. It is not pork. It is not pet projects or a bridge to 

nowhere. 

I should note that I am concerned about your budget’s proposal 

to redirect a significant percentage of Hatch formula funds and the 

McIntyre-Stennis funds to a national competitively awarded multistate project. Competition is not a bad thing; it is a good thing. But 

this plan may destabilize our land grant and forestry funding system. As a nation, we depend on the land grant system to provide 

certain services, and we cannot afford to compromise its abilities 

to meet those commitments. 

I am also taken aback by the wholesale closure of 20 ARS facilities across the country. I don’t think that this is the moment to 

limit the capacity of groundbreaking agricultural research that is 

performed at these labs. Let me further highlight some of the proposed increases in research—bioenergy, water reuse in agricultural 

systems, and funding for research into the obesity epidemic. I believe these are critical investments, and I am delighted and glad 

to see that there is a renewed focus on these areas. 

Your budget also includes an increase for food safety research, 

particularly the study of E. coli and other pathogens in fresh 

produce. Of course, we have witnessed an increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. In light of the spinach recall in 

the latter part of 2006, it is clear that the results of your research 

will be vitally important. 

So I thank all of you again today. I look forward to discussing 

these issues with you. I will yield time to the ranking member 

when he comes in for his opening comments, if he chooses to make 

them. 

What we will now do is to move to your testimony, Dr. Buchanan. And you know that the testimony will be in the record. 

And so we will ask you to summarize and make the points that you 

would like to make, and then we can begin with the questioning. 

I understand we have guests here this morning as well, the ARS 

Fellows? Okay. Very good. Thank you, and welcome to the hearing. 

Delighted to have you. 

OPENING STATEMENT

Dr. BUCHANAN. Madam Chairwoman, members of the subcommittee, I am very pleased to appear before you to discuss the 

President’s fiscal year 2009 budgets for the Research, Education, 

and Economics mission area of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

and all of the agencies involved in that mission area. 

I am accompanied by Dr. Merle Pierson, Deputy Under Secretary 

of REE; Dr. Ed Knipling, Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service; Dr. Colien Hefferan, Administrator of the CooperaVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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tive State Research, Education, and Extension Service; Dr. Katherine Smith, Administrator of the Economic Research Service; and 

Mr. Joe Reilly, Acting Administrator of the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service. Also present is Dr. Scott Steele, Director of the 

Office of Budget and Program Analysis for the Department. Each 

administrator has provided written testimony for the record. The President’s budget requests $2.3 billion for the four REE 

agencies. The process for developing this budget required making 

tough choices to hold spending in check in order to achieve the 

President’s goals on the balanced budget by 2012. Within the total 

$2.3 billion are requests for increases in higher priority programs, 

including bioenergy and biobased products, food safety, and waterrelated programs. These increases are offset by the elimination of 

congressional add-ons and decreases in lower priority programs. 

This has been a very productive year for the REE mission area 

in this agency. We have achieved an increased level of collaboration 

across the agencies in REE, across the Department, and across the 

Federal government. While such collaboration is always extremely 

valuable, it is close to a necessity during a tight budget. 

I am particularly pleased with the REE agencies who are enthusiastically engaged in coordination of research and education and 

other activities related to bioenergy and bioproducts, and in support of the President’s goal for achieving a greater degree of energy 

security. 

The REE mission area has worked hard this past year to develop 

the USDA REE Energy Science Strategic Plan. This provides a 

road map for the bioenergy and bioproducts programs of each of the 

four agencies for the next five years. The plan identifies the unique 

capacity of each of the REE agencies to address specific aspects of 

the energy situation. 

Among the many bioenergy initiatives, we are planning an international energy science conference on sorghum later in the summer, to be held in Houston, Texas. Also, I want to invite you to participate in the Bioenergy Awareness Day, or BEAD II, which is 

scheduled for June 21st, which is the summer solstice. 

BEAD II will showcase advances in agricultural energy science, 

and this year’s event will be held at both the National Arboretum 

and on the lawn of the Jamie Whitten Building on the National 

Mall. The Nation’s first energy crops garden, including over 20 

biofuel crops, will be established at the National Arboretum. 

Collaboration efforts across agencies and departments in bioenergy and bioproducts has become more active and visible over 

the last year. It has become the standard modus operandi for the 

REE agencies. ARS routinely establishes effective collaboration 

with scientists at universities where ARS labs are located. 

CSREES collaborates with several other departments in planning 

its research program. The agency also develops jointly funded competitive grant programs with other departments, such as DOE and 

NSF. 

We are also pursuing ideas for research collaboration in energy 

science with the Department of Defense. Some other particularly 

notable collaborations include research on colony collapse disorder 

that is threatening the honeybee industry and the livelihood of 

many fruit and vegetable growers. 


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NASS is partnering with community-based organizations and 

tribal governments at a unprecedented level for the 2007 Census 

of Agriculture with the goal of increasing participation of minority 

and American Indians. Historically, they have been under-represented in the Census of Agriculture. 

With the CSREES funding and leadership, a network of land 

grant universities has developed ‘‘eXtension.’’ This is a new Webbased information system that will provide objective, scientific, research-based information to the public. eXtension will serve the 

needs of the anywhere-anytime generation of American users, giving them quick access to the organized customized resources they 

need to make informed decisions. It is an excellent example of how 

we are using the collaborative approach to improve the effectiveness and make better use of limited resources. 

Turning to the fiscal year 2009 budget, I would like to highlight 

four priority areas identified for special attention in preparation of 

the REE agency budget. These include bioenergy and bioproducts, 

nutrition and obesity, food safety, and water. 

The President’s 2009 budget proposes an increase of $29 million 

of bioenergy and biobased products for the four REE agencies. This 

includes: a $6 million increase for research focusing on the development and use of energy crops and crop residues and efficient conversion to biofuel; a $19 million increase in competitive grants for 

bioenergy; $1.3 million to provide multidisciplinary undergraduate 

and graduate level programs; $0.4 million to strengthen our ability 

to analyze the regional impacts of bioenergy production; and $1.8 

million to establish a data series on key elements of bioenergy production and use. 

Obesity continues to be a major health problem for America. The 

incidence of overweight and obesity in children is of particular concern, foreshadowing a lifetime of health problems associated with 

being overweight, such as diabetes. The President’s budget proposes a $12 million increase in ARS for research to determine the 

efficacy of healthy eating and physical activity patterns in the Dietary Guidelines in preventing obesity. A particular focus will be in 

preventing obesity in children and understanding the dietary patterns that contribute to obesity in low socioeconomic and minority 

populations. 

The ARS budget proposes an increase of $14 million to enhance 

research to safeguard the Nation’s food supply from foodborne 

pathogens and pathogens of biosecurity concerns. For example, the 

contamination of fresh produce remains an issue of concern for consumers, as well as the produce industry. The funds will support enhanced research to better understand the fate and movement of 

pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 in vegetables and small fruit 

production. 

Competing human, industrial, recreational, and ecosystem demands for water are challenging agriculture’s access to water supplies. The ARS budget proposes $8 million to address several aspects of water reuse, including development of best management 

practices for our food production systems and processing plants. 

Under its national integrated water program, CSREES will support 

projects that address water and wastewater reuse as well. 


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The President’s fiscal year 2009 budget request for the four agencies in the REE mission area provide a balanced research, education, and economics portfolio to address high national priority 

issues, and the proposed budget will enable the REE agencies to 

continue to make new discoveries and develop new technologies 

that contribute to the success of American agriculture. This success 

allows Americans to enjoy the highest quality, safest, and lowest 

cost food anywhere, while contributing to the Nation’s effort to 

achieve a greater degree of energy security. 

Thank you, and I look forward to responding to your questions 

and hearing your comments. 

[The information follows:] 


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61 

FOOD SAFETY INCREASE

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you very much, Dr. Buchanan. 

You just mentioned that under food safety, the ARS budget pro- poses an increase of $14 million. In the testimony, it says the ARS 

budget proposes an increase of $7 million to enhance research to 

safeguard the nation’s food supply from foodborne pathogens. I am 

more excited about 14. Is it 7 or 14? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. It is 14. Am I right, Dr. Knipling? 

Dr. KNIPLING. That would include some of the related homeland 

security work that also has potential food safety implications. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. And also, there is an increase in CSREES. 

Ms. DELAURO. Can you just break down and get that to me, the breakdown of that $14 million, so I can see where—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. We can certainly get that to you. Yes. Yes, 

ma’am. 

[The information follows:] 

The FY 2009 Budget for ARS includes a $7 million increase in food safety research for enhanced activities on management and intervention strategies to prevent pre- and post-harvest pathogen contamination of produce. In addition, $7 million of ARS food safety research projects funded in FY 2008 have been reclassified 

in support of Homeland Security. This reclassification, of existing food safety 

projects, increases the amount of research that supports Homeland Security, but 

does not enhance overall food safety research activities. 

Ms. DELAURO. Lovely. That is fine. Thank you. 

COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM

I guess, Dr. Smith, this is about ERS, the commodities supplemental food program urban report. You have contracted with the 

Urban Institute to do a report on the Commodity Supplemental 

Food Program, CSFP, entitled, ‘‘New News about an Old Program.’’ 

Now, the program is a significant source of nutritional assistance 

for low income seniors, and the package can be a substantial portion of seniors’ monthly allowance for food. 

I know the report has not been published yet, but I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the findings in the report 

and, more specifically, why the CSFP participants either are ineligible or unwilling to participate in the food stamp program. 

Dr. SMITH. Thank you. I would be delighted to—— 

Ms. DELAURO. Just pull it over towards you. 

Dr. SMITH [continuing]. To speak to that. The CSFP was founded 

in 1969, which was before the WIC Program, and has always been 

for eligible individuals who are pregnant or postpartum, children 

under the age of 6, or seniors above the age of 60. When WIC came 

into being, most of the pregnant and nursing mothers went to WIC. 

And at the present time, 91 percent of all of the participants in 

CSFP are seniors. There are several reasons for—— 

Ms. DELAURO. Low income seniors. Correct? 

Dr. SMITH. Not necessarily. Not necessarily, no. There is more 

flexibility in the CSFP. 

Ms. DELAURO. Right. 

Dr. SMITH. You can have assets that are substantial, so you can 

own your own home and be a senior and get benefits from that program, which is not true for food stamps. You can benefit from the 

food packages under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program 


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if you have income one-third above the poverty line without the 

benefits being ratcheted down, as is the case for food stamps. 

And there is also some stigma in the senior group that appears 

not to be as significant in younger groups. And therefore, the seniors have no real incentive to go over to food stamps. 

Ms. DELAURO. Say that again, that last part? 

Dr. SMITH. The seniors have no real incentive to go to food 

stamps if they are stigmatized, if they have assets, or if they have 

a relatively high income. It still has to be below 130 percent of the 

poverty level. 

Ms. DELAURO. Right. It is 130 percent of the poverty level. 

Dr. SMITH. Yes. 

Ms. DELAURO. But what about the findings in the report? What 

have you found out about this program? 

Dr. SMITH. I don’t have the specifics, but I will be happy to provide those to you. 

Ms. DELAURO. Is the report going to be published? 

Dr. SMITH. Yes, it will. 

Ms. DELAURO. When? 

Dr. SMITH. I am not sure. Within the next six months. 

Ms. DELAURO. Well, is the report complete? Is it—— 

Dr. SMITH. Preliminary findings are available. I just don’t have 

them. 

Ms. DELAURO. You don’t have the preliminary findings? 

Dr. SMITH. Right. But I can get them to you. 

Ms. DELAURO. Yes. And I would just love to see that. I mean, it 

seems like a program that is meeting its goals in terms of what you 

said, what, 90, 91 percent of seniors are participating in it. 

Dr. SMITH. It has its constituents, and it is the best program for 

them. 

[The information follows:] 

Preliminary Findings of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): 

Participation by women and children in the CSFP is low—about 7 percent of all 

participants. CSFP predated the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for 

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which has now superseded it as the dominant 

nutrition assistance program serving this category. 

The overwhelming majority—93 percent of—current CSFP participants are lowincome seniors. Much of the current policy debate focuses on this group, how the 

program serves them, and why seniors may choose that program in preference to 

the Food Stamp Program (FSP). 

Some CSFP-eligible seniors are not eligible for FSP because of asset limitations. 

The CSFP does not have an asset test, whereas the FSP limits eligibility to lowincome seniors with assets of $3,000 or less. 

Of those who are eligible for both CSFP and FSP, many seniors believe they receive more valuable benefits from CSFP than they would receive from FSP. The 

CSFP provides the same food package to all participants, whereas FSP benefit levels 

are adjusted on the basis of household size and income. Interviews indicated many 

seniors were deterred from participating in FSP by the belief that they would receive only a minimum benefit. 

Some seniors may prefer receiving a food package to redeeming food stamp benefits in supermarkets—particularly those with mobility or transportation problems, 

or living in areas not well served by retail (based on focus group interviews). 

Enrollment in CSFP is simpler than in FSP and WIC. Focus group interviews 

suggest many participants prefer CSFP for this reason. 

A few may participate in both programs. CSFP participants may legally participate in the FSP as well. Focus group interviews with CSFP participants, however, 

indicated low rates of participation in the FSP. 


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FOOD PRICES

Ms. DELAURO. Let me ask a further question. This is in the 2008 

conference report: ‘‘Direct the department to provide monthly reports on the program performance and estimated funding requirements to fully fund the WIC program. The department is to consider and include in these estimates current participation trends 

and current Economic Research Service food cost estimates in developing updated WIC estimates.’’ 

The first report from the department was over a month late and 

does not include current ERS food cost estimates as required. How 

often is ERS updating the WIC food cost estimates? 

Dr. SMITH. I am not sure about that, either. We do update our 

estimates of food price projections on a monthly basis, but I don’t 

know whether that is the same as the costs that go into the WIC 

Program. They are probably defined more specifically. And again, 

I will have to find that out for you, too. 

[The information follows:] 

ERS monitors trends in food prices. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food is 

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). ERS uses food prices indices 

from BLS and makes one year to 18 month forecasts for overall food prices and components. These are posted on our Web site and updated if the conditions on which 

they are based should change significantly. ERS provides USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) with forecasts of CPI for the specific food categories that are included in the WIC package. FNS then uses the ERS-provided information to update 

WIC cost estimates. ERS does not estimate nor does it forecast WIC costs. The ERS 

forecasts of future food price changes provided to FNS are updated on a quarterly 

basis as market conditions change. 

Ms. DELAURO. Please. Thank you. It sounds like it is from the 

way you have described it. 

Will ERS comply with the mandate in the fiscal year 2008 conference report to provide monthly updated food cost estimates? 

Dr. SMITH. Yes. 

Ms. DELAURO. Can the committee expect to receive the updated 

WIC food cost estimates in future monthly reports from the Department? 

Dr. SMITH. I can’t answer for the Department, but we will certainly make sure that they are available for incorporation. 

Ms. DELAURO. Let me yield to the ranking member, who has 

joined us, for opening comments. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. I was with the 

mayor of the city of Atlanta, and as you know, they are having a 

big drought issue. So I appreciate your courtesy in letting us use 

Martha’s office. While I was there, I rearranged some files. I didn’t 

know she was such a Bush supporter, by the way. [Laughter.] 

Ms. DELAURO. When mayors come to town, you have to meet 

with them. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Let me yield to Mr. Latham. I do have a number 

of questions, but he has been sitting here, so I wanted to—and I 

appreciate it. And I welcome Dr. Buchanan and all of you guys. 

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Latham. 

HATCH ACT

Mr. LATHAM. Thank you very much, and welcome everyone. 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARING
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It is like deja vu all over again. On research funding, your request seeks to move 42 percent of Hatch Act monies into the competitive grant category, which you have asked for previously. I 

guess my question would be, number one, why do you continually 

ask for this? It isn’t going to happen. 

But, I mean, don’t you believe that it would certainly hurt rural 

areas of the country? Are you planning on changing the law? Do 

you have a request to change what the law says as far as Hatch 

Act? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I don’t think so. 

Mr. LATHAM. So you are not requesting any change as far as the 

mission of Hatch Act? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. It would be in the appropriation but not—— 

Mr. LATHAM. But do you have any kind of feeling what you 

would do to ongoing research or in rural areas? Those competitive 

grants would probably go, as we have seen in some other—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, I will like to respond and ask Dr. Hefferan 

to respond. But clearly, the Administration feels that the process 

of identifying RFAs and then competing to identify the best laboratory or the best scientist to address a problem is the most effective 

way to go. 

I have been an experiment situation director. I have been a dean. 

And clearly, the most important thing is to provide the availability 

of resources. And I see this as a very positive development. 

Now, another thing is that these have been moved to what we 

call multi-State competitive programs, which is a way of competing, 

but it does involve multiple states, which encourages exactly one 

of the things that we try to encourage, and that is collaboration 

among scientists and among different institutions in different 

states. 

So there are some real positive things that have been developed 

out of this concept. I would like for Dr. Hefferan to amplify on that, 

if she would, if I may. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, certainly there is a substantial cut in the 

formula-based programs. I will say it is not for the purposes of redirection specifically. As you noted, the request for the competitive 

programs this year is exactly what it was last year. There certainly 

are challenges—— 

Mr. LATHAM. Did you request this to OMB? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. No. The budget process is a long and complicated—— 

Mr. LATHAM. That is not a hard question. Did you request this 

to OMB? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Yes. 

Mr. LATHAM. Okay. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Essentially, what we are working to do is to rebalance the portfolio so that there is a larger proportion focused on 

competitive awards. We are not proposing to completely cut out the 

state-allocated formula funds, but to focus on this rebalance consistent with science funding across all Federal agencies. Although 

I certainly wouldn’t characterize universities as endorsing this, I 

will say that they have been very—— 

Mr. LATHAM. You are right there. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. No. No, and I wouldn’t do that, obviously. 


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Mr. LATHAM. Perfect. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. But I will say that they have been very helpful 

in thinking about how one would develop a program in response to 

a growth in funding that could be used for multi-State programs. 

It is challenging, in a budget that wants to focus on the highest 

level national programs in science, to find a way to do that. And 

competitively awarded programs are the gold standard for the way 

research is funded by the Federal government, and this budget reflects that. 

Mr. LATHAM. Have you done any kind of study as to what the 

effect would be as far as regional-based long-term agricultural research? I mean, stuff that is in place that there is certainty out 

there that you can actually look 20 years down the road rather 

than have to look to the next appropriations bill? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, I will say that in the proposal that we have, 

we are not proposing to cut off any of the five-year projects that 

are currently going on, for example, under the multi-State program. Those would be completed. 

Mr. LATHAM. But you wouldn’t have any new five-year programs, 

would you? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Yes. Well, we would compete new programs, but 

we wouldn’t discontinue anything that is currently ongoing. 

Mr. LATHAM. And if you are subject to an annual appropriation, 

you don’t know that those five-year plans are going to work, do 

you? You are not going to have the funding for the five-year plan 

if in fact the whim of the dollars aren’t there? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. That is true. Certainly all of our multi-year plans 

are subject to the availability of appropriations. 

Mr. LATHAM. So for somebody to plan to hire a research scientist, 

there is really no certainty for them, is there? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. There is no certainty. Typically, however, Federal 

funding for university-based science is awarded through competitive processes across government. We are trying to be consistent 

with the standard of science. 

Mr. LATHAM. In ARS, we have the national animal disease center, obviously—I am sorry. I am out of time. Thank you, Madam 

Chair. 

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Farr. 

Mr. FARR. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I wish we could 

have this panel for about a week because I think what you are— 

America’s seed corn for inventiveness is in your domain, Dr. Buchanan. And I always appreciate it because of all these agricultural 

fights we have, we have to remember that we are only going to 

stay ahead of the competition as long as we are smarter and can 

get a better bang for the buck. 

And I was very pleased to see that your priority issues on food 

safety, obesity prevention, crop diseases, and water reuse all come 

together in my district. And I like to think that all agricultural politics is local, as they say around here, and everything that the 

USDA does, does it in someone’s back yard. 

My backyard is—the Census Bureau just pointed out the Monterey County was the highest farm income county in the United 

States. And people don’t think of coastal crops as being that, but 

we grow 85 different crops. And one of the things that I would kind 


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of like to get into is that your research initiatives certainly the E. 

coli breakout last year with spinach and found it in fresh lettuce, 

and the impact it had on the market, you know, we never got any 

help for all those voluntary recalls. And I do appreciate the emphasis in food safety and the new money in there on E. coli research. 

BIOENERGY

I am also interested in your bioenergy and bioproducts. What I 

missed in your document, I guess I have the testimony of Dr. 

Knipling’s before the subcommittee, the authorizing subcommittee, 

but there was no mention of biodiesel. And I wondered whether 

that is part of your research as well. We have the only certified biodiesel production plant in California in our district. 

Maybe you can just answer: Is that going to be part of your energy research? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes, very much so. In addition to the budget proposals for fiscal 2009, ARS has a substantial base research program ongoing, approximately $20 million of what we would classify 

as renewable energy research. And that does include a portfolio of 

activities, including biodiesel, particularly from soybeans, but from 

other oil seed crops as well. And in fact, the proposed initiative for 

next year does include some enhancement of and reallocation of 

money now associated with peanut research, but to explore the use 

of peanuts as a biodiesel feed stock. 

Mr. FARR. Well, I am keen on biodiesel. Why? Because every 

tractor out there is running on diesel. So why not just keep it in 

the same genre of fuels? And I think there is a great potential here 

of having a switchover right away with—I mean, this guy in our 

district does it all with local products; I don’t think he has to import anything. 

NUTRITION PROGRAMS

A big concern to this committee, and high on your priority list, 

is obesity prevention. And I think, and I want to know if perhaps 

Dr. Smith could do this: We have a hunger caucus in my district 

that is all the feeding programs, from WIC to Meals on Wheels to 

Second Harvest to food banks, you name it. And every time I meet 

with them, they are all in a different silo. They can’t even collaborate. 

And I wondered whether your research could help us see how we 

could get a better bang for the buck of just pulling together all 

these different agencies who are interested in feeding and nutritional food. And certainly, I mean, if Marcy Kaptur were here, one 

of the things that we are really keen on is promoting these farmer 

markets. 

But in these farmer markets, we are finding that people don’t 

have—some of them, but most of them don’t have any way of accepting food stamps or accepting WIC vouchers. And it seems to me 

that is just one of those easy things to do. I mean, cab drivers can 

accept your credit card, so I don’t know why vendors can’t accept 

those vouchers. And perhaps you could look into that. 

But the biggest problem I have, and I hope you will really look 

into it, is that when we buy material for the school lunch and 

school breakfast program, we buy it through the military depot in 


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Philadelphia. And they are buying all the commodity crop. This is 

a big problem because commodity crops, you know, you could store 

them and pack them and send them around easily. 

Now that we are field to fork fresh food, and the packaging of 

that food has gotten very good, why don’t we try to get more of 

those fresh vegetables? I mean, it is a disaster when you look at 

what we procedure in the Department of Agriculture for those programs and we give out, where a lot of it is peanut butter and wheat 

products and so on. 

And you are about to redo your Dietary Guidelines. I don’t think 

it is a lack of reading the guidelines. It is a lack of getting food 

on the plate. And there is just logistics that could easily be changed 

to do that. 

Did my time go that fast? You don’t get any brownie points for 

getting here before anybody else, huh? [Laughter.] 

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Kingston. 

Mr. KINGSTON. You have got to say the chairwoman is very generous of letting us get a lot of questions in. And I am with you. 

I think we could keep this panel for a week. 

WATKINSVILLE RESEARCH LABORATORY

Dr. Buchanan, I have to pick on you as a friend of mine and as 

a fellow Athenian. You know, the ARS lab in Watkinsville, which 

I believe you have received a letter from Senators Isakson and 

Chambliss about your decision to close it or the Secretary’s decision 

to close it, among other things, this is what that lab does. 

Develop soil management practices that increase infiltration of 

rainfall and irrigation to help mitigate Georgia’s water crisis. They 

work on increased adoption of conservation tillage in Georgia’s row 

crops; doing so could conserve 110 days equivalent of the State’s 

annual water use. Particularly with Atlanta having a drought, that 

is of great relevance. 

They work with poultry litter applications for crop and pastures, 

and develop soil management practices of all sorts. And it appears 

to me what their research is in terms of not just the national picture but the immediate backyard picture in the State of Georgia 

with the drought, it seems odd that that lab is slated to be closed. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, let me comment first, Congressman, and 

then I will ask Dr. Knipling to provide input. I am personally 

knowledgeable of that laboratory, having been Dean at University 

of Georgia and had many collaborative relationships with—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. I knew you were, and I know you are probably 

in a little bit of a jam on this one. That is why I didn’t ask Dr. 

Knipling. [Laughter.] 

Dr. BUCHANAN. But really, we had to make hard decisions. And 

I would say that every laboratory we are proposing to close is doing 

good work. It is not a matter of not being effective. It is just a matter of having to make tough choices in order to meet our budget. 

And much of the work—and I am going to ask Dr. Knipling to 

talk about where we are going to do other work. But we are going 

to continue some of that work at other locations. But you are right 

in that it has played a key role and it has made a lot of contributions. 


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But we believe that the reasons that we propose to close it are 

sound. They fit the criteria that we established to make closures. 

And we will continue some of that work at other places. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, our office was kind of going through the motions on this one. And then last Friday I had a staffer go down and 

spend a half day there, and we were a lot more impressed after the 

tour with what they were doing. And again, it is relevant to what 

is going on in Georgia right now. And that is why we really have 

a little bit more intensity, and join the Senators on this one. 

LABORATORY CLOSURES

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, we certainly had a very established list of 

criteria that we use to make closures. And Dr. Knipling, do you 

want to amplify on that? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. There are several specific reasons and criteria 

associated with the Watkinsville lab. But I would just emphasize, 

as Dr. Buchanan did, in the context of our total budget allowances 

and the difficult choices that we had to make, some 20 laboratories 

and locations across all of ARS are affected, and Watkinsville is 

one of those. 

There are programmatic criteria and resource management criteria. For the most part, the Watkinsville program is a very mature 

program. That lab has been there for over 70 years. And in the 

grand scheme of things, we consider its activities, missions, largely 

accomplished. 

We are doing that work or have the capability to do that work 

elsewhere, including in the Southeast, in Georgia at Tifton, at Florence, South Carolina, and a number of other soil and water conservation labs throughout the United States, where we have a coordinated program. 

Resource management-wise, that program is of marginal variability. We have actually had to reduce staff in the past few years 

to maintain satisfactory resources for those that are remaining. So 

it is really not a sustainable, viable program in that sense. 

There are also infrastructure costs, facility maintenance. And 

this is a form of cost-avoidance, if you will, for future out-year liabilities for facility modernization. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, now that I have chastised you for that, I 

have got to go down the road a few miles and praise you for the 

Southeast poultry lab. You have great wisdom on that. [Laughter.] 

I want to close on Watkinsville lab. We have been working with 

Congressman Brown’s office on this, and we will continue to stay 

in touch with you. 

SOUTHEAST POULTRY LABORATORY

But on the Southeast poultry lab, one of my questions is: Does 

the $13.2 million in the budget take care of it? Because I know that 

as you look at the history of these labs through the design phase, 

and then the longer the lag is between the design and the construction, the bigger the cost. And this thing has kind of been out there 

for a while. I have been a big proponent of it. 

Dr. KNIPLING. As you know, we have been working on this concept for several years and had several previous conversations with 

you. The total construction project is targeted at $207 million. The 


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first phase is the architectural and engineering design, and this 

committee provided, this fiscal year, 2008, $2.8 million toward that. So our request in 2009, the $13.2 million, brings us up to a total of $16 million. And that is sufficient to get the architectural and 

design activity underway, and that is a normal part of the process. 

That would be completed in approximately 15 to 18 months after 

the monies are received, and then we would be seeking full construction funding in out-year budgets. 

Mr. KINGSTON. How much money does it save if you are doing 

it lump sum? And that is my last question. 

Dr. KNIPLING. If we were to phase it in, say, two phases, it would 

be at least 10 percent higher cost. And then if it were more than 

two phases over a number of years, we can probably, as a rule of 

thumb, probably add a 10 percent additional cost every year that 

it is phased or delayed. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you, Mr. Kingston. 

FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH

I want to ask about food safety research, Dr. Buchanan, because I was interested in the proposal for an increase of more than $7 

million for research into food safety issues and its relation to fresh 

fruits and vegetables. You spoke about 14, but I must tell you that 

the budget justification here says an increase of $7 million for food 

safety research. I will wait to see what else has been lumped into 

food safety research, but I am troubled about that. 

Let me ask—I will give you a chance to answer—but the budget 

justification talks a lot about E. coli and salmonella. Would your 

work focus primarily on those pathogens? What about other pathogens? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. First let me say that our commitment to food safety research in 2008 is some $130 million. And of course, we are 

proposing a substantial increase, particularly in CSREES. Dr. 

Hefferan? 

Ms. DELAURO. We are talking about ARS at the moment. Correct? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. ARS is almost flat. But we have replaced—eliminated some earmarks. Dr. Knipling, do you want to comment on 

that, the earmark situation? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, I think we are kind of mixing up different 

categories of numbers here. But—— 

Ms. DELAURO. We are. But when Dr. Buchanan spoke about food 

safety research in his opening remarks, he talked about $14 million. We have a budget document here that says we have got $7 

million for food safety research. And I will tell you further, I see 

you are only showing a net increase in 2009 for food safety research of $1.267 million rather than the $7 million that you are requesting. 

So if you can, I really would like you to explain to me what we 

are spending for food safety research. And then I would like to get 

to the questions on what are you going to spend that on in terms 

of the pathogen. 

Dr. KNIPLING. With respect to ARS, we have an ongoing base 

program across the United States of about $85 million in food safeVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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ty, all aspects of food safety—meat, poultry, produce, pre-harvest, 

post-harvest, a whole array of different pathogens. 

With respect to the fiscal 2009 budget request, the ARS proposal does call for a $7 million enhancement. That is in fact a reallocation of existing food safety research from lower priorities to the 

higher priorities and in fact would address those issues you mentioned—E. coli, pre-harvest—— 

E. COLI AND SALMONELLA

Ms. DELAURO. Are you going to focus primarily on E. coli and 

salmonella? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Those would be the principal pathogens, particularly E. coli as it affects produce, to address both pre- and post-harvest. There is a portion of that $7 million, roughly $1 million, that 

would deal with the so-called antimicrobial resistance that is developing in swine and dairy from the use of antibiotics. Back to the $14 million. That broadly lumps some enhancements 

in support of homeland security research. In terms of pathogen reduction, it would be $7 million. 

Ms. DELAURO. Now, was your research proposal developed in 

consultation with the FDA? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. Very much so. We have worked very close 

with FDA for the—well, over many years, but certainly in the last 

two years with respect to the spinach and lettuce issues. FDA, as 

you know, has regulatory responsibility over produce. 

Ms. DELAURO. Yes, I do. Right. 

HUMAN NUTRITION RESEARCH

Let me also talk about research at ARS. I was glad to see nutrition research, an increase for nutrition research. It is a little bit 

disturbing to see that most of the increase would go to research 

after the fact, and this is the effectiveness of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, also known as My Pyramid, which were released in 2005. 

Just cart before the horse here: Shouldn’t this work have been 

done before the guidelines were issued? 

Dr. KNIPLING. It is an ongoing process. Of course, the guidelines 

have been issued every five years since 1990, the last set in 2005 

and the next revision in 2010. So the guidelines continue to use the 

latest scientific understandings and advancements. So it is a rolling process. 

Our proposal for 2009 is in fact to do several things. One is to 

verify and validate the guidelines that are out there now, but also 

provide a foundation for updating the guidelines in 2010. But even 

then that will be a continuing process for future ones. 

One of the primary concerns with the guidelines is that many 

Americans are not following the guidelines and that would be a 

part of the study as well, to understand some of the behavioral patterns as to why Americans are not following the guidelines, and to 

develop a cross-sectional study among all population groups. 

Ms. DELAURO. My time is up, but let me just make these couple 

of points which I think are important. 

Last year ARS proposed an increase of $6.9 million for this same 

work on dietary guidelines. The 2008 budget justification said, 


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‘‘The guidelines’’—this is the quote—‘‘have never been tested to assess if the expected health benefits accrue.’’ You proposed an increase of $6.9 million last year for the same research. This year you are requesting $9.7 million for the same 

work. I will hold the question of why the cost has gone up so much 

because I am mindful of my colleagues. But also just let me note 

that the 2009 and the 2008 budget justification contained word for 

word the same description of what you would do with the increase. 

So I am laying the question out. I am not going to ask you to answer it now, but I will ask you: We have gone from $6.9 million 

to $9.7 million for exactly the same thing. Why has it gone up? 

And I yield now to Mr. Latham. 

Mr. LATHAM. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. 

NATIONAL VETERINARY MEDICAL SERVICES ACT

Dr. Buchanan, Congress has given you about $2 million to develop a loan repayment program for veterinary student graduates 

who get their degrees and agree to practice in underserved areas, 

especially large animals. And you have transferred some of those 

dollars to FSIS, but you haven’t yet created the program that was 

intended under Congress’s mandate with the appropriation. 

I just wondered where you are. Are you going to ask FSIS to pay 

back money that was never, ever meant to just be transferred out 

of the department without actually establishing a program? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, first, as you know, we have had a number 

of meetings. In fact, we had a hearing on this just the other day. 

And—— 

Mr. LATHAM. Where was that? In the ag committee? Authorizing 

committee? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. The Ag. Subcommittee on Livestock, I believe. 

And there of course is perhaps a bit of a misunderstanding, but 

when we developed that approach, the original legislation, I think, 

provided for three different categories: for veterinarians in rural 

areas; it also provided for veterinarians for underserved areas of 

veterinary science, such as in food safety and health and that area; 

but also in underserved areas in the Federal Government. 

In trying to identify what was the most effective way that we 

could allocate funds, we chose the route that we did have the mechanism to use. We identified these areas, and of course the proposal 

that we had would cover two of those. It would cover food safety; 

it would also cover underserved areas in the Federal Government. 

We thought that that would certainly be a way because we don’t 

have mechanisms within any of our agencies for loan repayment 

programs. This is a system we would have to develop. 

But the upshot of it, after the hearing the other day, is we 

agreed that our staff would work with your staff to identify the 

best way to move forward. And I made a commitment that certainly we would try to find a way to accomplish the objectives that 

you have laid out in the future. 

I have gotten information that of the money that has been identified for FSIS, only $150,000 of that has been committed for five 

vets over the next five years, and those are food safety inspectors 

at FSIS. And they are to be identified for use in areas that are in 

rural parts of the country. 


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Mr. LATHAM. If I could—are you paying off student loans with 

those vets, or are you just hiring more vets? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. No. These are students who were hired by FSIS. 

Mr. LATHAM. I know. But are you paying off their student loans? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Yes. Yes. 

Mr. LATHAM. To go and work in FSIS? Okay. You understand the 

purpose of the money was to go into underserved areas, and no 

one—the intent that I have ever heard of wasn’t to give more 

money to FSIS to hire. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. But we are not going to give any more, because 

we are now trying to identify what is the best way, working with 

the staff, to see what is the best way to accomplish the objectives 

that Congress wants us to do. 

Mr. LATHAM. This has been going on—what, this is the third, 

fourth year now? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. This is the third year. 

Mr. LATHAM. The third year, and we still don’t have a clue as 

to what we are doing. Is that correct? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, no. I would say that we are making 

progress and that we have finally identified that you are most interested in the rural areas, not necessarily the other two areas that 

were identified in the original legislation. So we are making 

progress, I think, Congressman. 

Mr. LATHAM. Do you know how frustrated—I mean, really, it is 

very clear, the intent—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I understand, sir. 

Mr. LATHAM [continuing]. Of what we are trying to do. Everybody in vets today want to do small animal practice. That is where 

the money is. It is very difficult, and the growth we have in livestock today, to get them out into rural areas. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Of course, as you know, we had proposed different proposals to try and accomplish that. And I think you are 

right in that there will be a challenge to get people that have interest in small animal companion pets to really work on hogs and 

cows. I understand that. 

Mr. LATHAM. That is why we did it. Right. 

EQUIPMENT FOR THE NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE CENTER

I guess one other—a lot of areas to go. But on the National Animal Disease Center at Ames, there was a request in the 2008 submission for funding for equipment at the lab there, which was not 

funded. There is no request this year for equipment. Is there a reason for that? Somehow did we find equipment there that was funded, or what? 

Dr. KNIPLING. No. We did not get that funding, as you said, and 

we don’t have the equipment, either. Of course, our budget guidelines for 2009 was different than they were, so it is a different situation. So we had to respond to the situation as it now exists for 

next year. So that equipment need for both ARS and AFIS is still 

a need. 

Mr. LATHAM. So the fact of the matter is we have spent $462 million on that facility in the past to modernize the whole facility, but 

we can’t get a small amount of money, or no request for a small 

amount of money, to put the equipment in for them to do their job? 


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Dr. KNIPLING. We will have to use existing resources, to the extent they are available at the location, to do that piecemeal. Yes. 

Mr. LATHAM. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you. Mr. Bishop. 

1890 RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

Mr. BISHOP. Thank you very much. Let me welcome the panel, 

especially my friend, Dr. Buchanan. I have got a couple of areas 

of inquiry. I am going to do the one that is closest to my heart first, 

and then I want to go to the second one. And that has to do with 

the 1890s extension and research. 

The President’s budget for the 1890s extension is down from $35,205,000 in fiscal year 2008 to a requested amount of 

$34,073,000 in 2009. Can you kind of explain to me the justification 

for the decrease? I don’t understand why we are decreasing extension activities for the 1890s land grant institutions when these 

schools have historically had problems competing in the extension 

arena because of a lack of—the disparity in allocation of resources. 

And we have been trying to correct that to catch up. 

The President’s budget also includes a decrease for the Evans Allen program, I think for $38,331,000, down from $41,051,000. 

Why are we decreasing funding for these institutions when they 

have historically been shortchanged and we are trying to bring 

them up to par? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, first, Congressman, thank you for your 

question. And certainly I agree the 1890s play a very vital role in 

the agricultural research, education, and extension process in this 

country. 

And I am going to ask Dr. Hefferan to explain exactly the numbers. But clearly, there are a number of categories in which we 

have strengthened the 1890 programs. But the specific numbers for 

the decrease, Dr. Hefferan, do you want to comment on that? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Yes. The numbers that are requested in this 

year’s President’s budget are the same as requested in last year’s 

President’s budget. Of course, there has subsequently been an appropriation action that increased those allocations. And the difference that you are citing is the difference between the final 2008 

appropriations and what we are requesting for 2009. And those essentially in the President’s budget are flatlined from the previous 

President’s budget. 

We have of course been working very hard with the 1890s to expand their participation in a number of programs, and again are 

seeking funding for the—sorry, funding allocations from the 

EFNEP, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, to 

include the participation of the 1890 institutions. 

And just yesterday and today we are meeting with 160 researchers from the 1890 community in Memphis to talk about the keys 

to success in our competitive grants programs. We found that when 

the 1890 institutions choose to compete in the National Research 

Initiative and in other competitive programs, they are as successful 

as other institutions. And we really want to encourage their growth 

and competition in those programs. 

Mr. BISHOP. Thank you. I appreciate that. But I do want to let 

you know that I and I know Mr. Jackson and others in the ConVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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gress have a very, very keen interest in the well-being and the 

growth of the 1890s institutions. And we would like to see an 

equally keen interest on the part of the department. 

ARS WATKINSVILLE LABORATORY

My second question has to do with the ARS facility in 

Watkinsville, Georgia. That facility is slated for closure in the 

President’s proposal, and the reduction in operating expenditures 

will certainly save some money. Is USDA going to consider moving 

the professional scientists and their teams to another ARS facility 

in the state as a unit to continue the research that they are doing? 

And also the farm there has been used for ag research, and of 

course the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has partnered with ARS on projects in the 

past, and it has an adjoining farm next to that ARS facility that 

is slated for closure. Is the USDA going to consider, ARS going to 

consider, the farm being used by the University of Georgia for continuing that research? 

I would hate to see the property lost to development so that we 

got mansions being built out there when available agricultural research land is really dwindling because of the development. Now, 

probably more than ever, we really need to have that agricultural 

land and we need to preserve it. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, let me make a general comment and then 

I will ask Dr. Knipling to provide more detail. 

But clearly there are established procedures when we do close facilities that we follow. And when we have property that is no 

longer needed, we have specific procedures that have to be followed 

for disposal of government-owned land. So Ed, do you want to amplify on that? 

Dr. KNIPLING. With respect to your first question, the staff at 

Watkinsville, we do not have a plan to relocate them intact as a 

unit. But we systematically look at programs elsewhere in the 

agency that are not impacted by the budget process where we have 

vacancies that fit the qualifications of those staff, and we would 

give priority placement to those employees, scientists and support 

personnel alike, in other programs. 

If we are not able to place them, again we go through prescribed 

sequential procedures to offer incentive programs—early out retirement, buyout, and so forth. Certainly the last resort would be separation. 

Regarding the facilities, as Dr. Buchanan said, we go through 

prescribed procedures. We actually turn the Federal properties over 

to the General Services Administration, and generally speaking, 

they would offer it to another Federal agency if there was a need 

for it; if there is no interest there, State agencies, and I presume 

that could include the university; and then our local government 

agencies. But that is the prescribed procedure. I believe we have 

roughly 1,200 acres of land there on that site. 

Mr. BISHOP. I mean, you don’t have to pay taxes on the land. You 

don’t have to do anything to maintain it. Could you lease it, have 

a low-cost lease on it, which wouldn’t be a strain on the government, on your budget, would it? 


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Dr. KNIPLING. Again, those procedures would be up to GSA to 

prescribe. But I doubt if there would be a lease, but I am not sure 

about that. 

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Kingston. 

NAFTA

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you. Dr. Buchanan, there has been a lot 

of talk about NAFTA and kind of revisiting it. Can you tell me 

what benefits to the farmer NAFTA has brought? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, first, again let me make a general comment, and I would like Dr. Smith to amplify on it. 

Clearly, exports are an important part of the agricultural portfolio in this country. In fact, I heard yesterday our exports are over 

$100 billion for this coming year, which is very substantial. And 

certainly anything that enhances, supports, and encourages exports 

is extremely important. And you want to give us some details about 

it, Kitty. 

Dr. SMITH. Sure. NAFTA is directly responsible for increasing agricultural exports from the U.S., unequivocally. Thirty-seven percent of the increase in agricultural exports from 1993 to the 

present has been due to Canada and Mexico importing more U.S. 

products. 

The trade is complementary. It benefits the partners as well as 

it does the United States, so that, because we have different products to produce. They are different, so we trade with each other 

and both benefit. And agricultural trade with NAFTA countries has 

stimulated positive, although fairly modest, employment growth in 

the U.S. 

Mr. KINGSTON. So should we modify NAFTA or is—you say it has 

been very good for agriculture, 37 percent increase. 

Dr. SMITH. Should we modify it? 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, there has been a lot of discussion of—people 

say, let’s fix NAFTA. 

Dr. SMITH. It certainly would depend on the modifications. But 

there isn’t a problem identified that would warrant it. Even the environmental benefits are positive, as we had feared would be negative. They are not. They are positive. 

Mr. KINGSTON. So the case for NAFTA and its positive impact on 

agriculture is there? 

Dr. SMITH. It is. 

Mr. KINGSTON. For the consumer as well as for the producer? 

Dr. SMITH. Yes. Oh, yes, because they are getting cheaper imported food from those trading partners in NAFTA. 

BIOFUELS AND AGRICULTURE

Mr. KINGSTON. Let me ask you something. This committee is a 

great supporter of alternative fuel, but there has been a real 

pushback of corn ethanol being such a big mandate. And where 

should we go on that? 

And I will have my friend from Iowa who may have a dog in that 

fight; I don’t know—but there is concern of getting fuel from your 

food source, and also the fact that corn, for example, uses a tremendous amount of energy, nitrogen and so forth. 


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And I was just—have we set too high of a mandate to use corn? 

And I am an alternative fuels guy with this committee, but this is 

not—it would be good to kind of have a discussion here. 

Dr. SMITH. I think the jury is out on what the long run implications are going to be. Certainly the switch to producing fuel has 

some impacts on food prices, though not—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. Some impacts? Didn’t groceries go up about 5 percent last year? 

Dr. SMITH. They did, and we are projecting them—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. And how much of that was because of fuel? 

Dr. SMITH. How much I can’t tell you exactly. But a lot of it, the 

majority, was probably due to droughts in Australia and New Zealand, and weather patterns worldwide. 

Mr. KINGSTON. I think that is Iowa. They have put those 

droughts over there. 

Dr. SMITH. But we are projecting another 4 percent increase. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Now, we see articles that say relying so much on 

corn as a fuel source is really irresponsible. Just tell me if that is 

right or wrong. I am not trying to put you against somebody from 

Iowa, but I just really—I am genuinely interested in this, as I 

think all of us are. 

I have noticed no one else on the panel is volunteering to answer 

the question. You all are just going to let her dangle out there, 

aren’t you? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. All right. Let me take a stab. I am convinced 

that we have entered into a new paradigm in agriculture. That 

means that in the past we thought of agriculture as food, feed, 

fiber, and flowers. Today agriculture is food, feed, fiber, flowers, 

and fuel or energy. And I don’t think we are ever going back to 

where we were five years ago. I think we are simply going to look 

to the future as energy is a part of the portfolio of agriculture. 

Another point is I don’t think we are ever going to see cheap oil 

again. And if all of those facts are true, then clearly we have the 

importance of agriculture being involved in the energy picture. 

Corn was the first choice, and I have read all the articles, just as 

all of you have, about the negative side of using a food crop for fuel. 

But this is what we could do. 

And this is the first step. I don’t think anybody really believes 

that this is going to be the final step. I think corn is what we are 

using now, but there is a lot of work going on in a lot of parts of 

the Federal government, and every university that I know of is also 

working, looking at trying to develop cellulosic ethanol. And that 

certainly would take some pressure off of the emphasis of a food 

crop. 

But Congressman, I think we are just beginning. And this is why 

it is such a high priority in our mission area as well as in other 

parts of the Federal government to find other ways to make ethanol or biofuels, I should say. The question a while ago about biodiesel is very relevant and very important. 

But I think that the important point is that we have to look at 

all opportunities to develop the—to address the energy security picture. It is going to take ethanol. It is going to take biodiesel. It is 

going to take conservation. It is going to take everything you can 

think of, as well as all aspects of renewable energy. 


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The conference that was held here in D.C. last week was a tremendous event, and there was a number of good presentations 

about the whole spectrum of the energy picture. This is why a year 

ago we started in our mission area to identify what is the plan for 

our mission area. And we started by holding a conference and inviting representatives of all of our agencies, as well as universities 

from around the county, to develop a strategic plan to develop the 

energy picture from our perspective. 

And I am pleased to say that that plan is essentially finished. 

It is in final review now and should be issued within the next few 

days. It lays out our goals as to what we want to try to do to help 

address the President’s initiative of achieving energy security. 

So the questions you ask, I think every part of the country is 

going to have a role to play. Right now Iowa and the Midwest is 

in the driver’s seat because they produce corn. But I am going to 

tell you, they don’t produce many pine trees in Iowa. We produce 

a lot of pine trees in the Southeast. We produce other things. The 

Southwest has potentials that we don’t have. 

So I think every part of the country is going to be involved in 

the energy picture, and I am getting on a soapbox. I will get off 

of it. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you. 

STAFFING REDUCTIONS

Ms. DELAURO. Dr. Buchanan, let me ask a question about staffing cuts. The budget shows 211 fewer staff years in 2009 than in 

2007 and 2008. It also says that 700 employees would be affected 

by the proposed lab and facility closures. It estimates the cost for 

their relocations and terminations, and for disposal of assets at 

ARS sites, to be about $30- to $50 million. 

You say you would need reprogramming or a supplemental to 

cover those costs. I must say, and I know that this was probably 

not your doing, that the budget should have shown those costs. Let 

me just give you a for instance. 

In the final 2007 bill, we had no earmark. And this meant that 

some accounts in the NRCS—this is not your jurisdiction—they 

were zeroed out, just as the administration had proposed. But the 

agency was shocked, had to scramble to be able to cope with this 

effort. And when we asked why, they said they never expected anyone to actually do what they proposed. 

Do you have a plan to carry out what you propose? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. The proposed budget reductions and terminations in ARS do affect approximately 700 positions and employees. Perhaps a few of those are actually vacant at this time, but 

it is still close to 700. 

We really don’t know for sure at this point how many of that 

staff would be relocated because of some of those other procedures 

I spoke about earlier that would offer other opportunities. 

But yes, the estimated cost, if all of them were to sever or relocate, as the case might be, is in the $30- to $50 million range. And 

no, we have not requested that in this budget. We would have to 

deal with that at the time, and perhaps request reprogramming authority from this committee to use other agency existing resources 

to do that. 


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Ms. DELAURO. Don’t you think that the budget should have reflected those costs so that we have an accurate picture of what is 

happening here? Or do we just say, well, it is not going to happen 

and therefore we shouldn’t have to worry about it now? 

It is a little bit like a campaign I was once involved in. We said, 

we are going to jump off that bridge when we get there. Literally, 

it was a campaign slogan in a campaign I was involved in many, 

many years ago. And we are going to jump off that bridge when 

we get there. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, we did make specific mention of this issue 

and the estimate of costs in the explanatory note so it would be 

visible. But no, we did not request those funds in the budget. 

Ms. DELAURO. And we have no plan. We have no plan for how 

to deal with these 700 employees. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, the plan would be to use existing agency resources. We would perhaps have to assess all of our other programs 

and seek reprogramming authority to use existing resources to do 

that once we knew the exact amount that would be involved. 

Ms. DELAURO. And then we will cut those programs. So that is 

what we have going on here. 

BROADBAND

Let me try to ask a couple of quick questions in my remaining 

time. This is ERS on broadband. Fiscal year 2008, the conference 

report provided $250,000 to research, deployment of broadband 

service to households with no or limited broadband access. Can you 

provide us with a summary of what you are finding on the economic impact of broadband service on rural communities? 

Dr. SMITH. We have initiated the most comprehensive national 

study ever on who is using broadband services and how. And we 

are doing this in cooperation with the National Ag. Statistics Service. Following the collection of up-to-date data, then we will be able 

to determine the effect on services. We are going to compare similar counties that are similar in all ways except that and then be 

able to distinguish how it affects investment and development. 

Ms. DELAURO. When do you expect to finalize this report to help 

the Congress better evaluate policy options for being able to expand 

broadband and its access to rural areas and underserved areas? 

Dr. SMITH. We should have a report about this time next year. 

But preliminary results will be available this fall. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you. 

Mr. Latham. 

ETHANOL

Mr. LATHAM. Thank you. Mr. Kingston and I have got the ethanol thing all figured out, so we are in total agreement. Right, 

Jack? Anyway, no, I just think—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. We decided corn liquor is better yet [Laughter.] 

Mr. LATHAM. No. I think it is an unbelievable opportunity for 

places like Georgia, and with the cellulose part of it. But the one 

drawback is the lack of research to efficiently convert those wood 

chips and cellulose into ethanol. 

But I take strong opposition to any idea that it affects the price 

of food just because we don’t lose any protein. I mean, food is proVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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tein. We don’t lose the protein in converting corn into ethanol. We 

take the starch out. Anyway, we won’t get into all that, Jack. 

A couple of things. Number one, and you probably don’t need to 

elaborate too much. But there is a proposal to close the swine odor 

and manure management lab in Ames. That proposal stinks, as far 

as I am concerned. [Laughter.] 

And it is extremely important for livestock producers environmentally and everything else that we continue that. 

IMPACT OF A CONTINUING RESOLUTION

One thing that I have been asking in a lot of different subcommittees is the Senate basically has said that they might possibly do Defense appropriations, maybe Homeland Security, but 

there is no intention of actually doing anything else. The House 

will do all the appropriations bills. 

You get into a CR at the end of the fiscal year. We are probably—depending on what happens in November, there is probably 

a very good likelihood that we don’t have any bills actually until 

March. What does that do to you? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I would like each of the Administrators to talk 

about their specific agencies, and start with Ed. How would you 

deal with it? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, on one hand, having a continuation of what 

we now is a positive. But we are one year further down the road 

in terms of cost escalation. 

Mr. LATHAM. So you would like to see a CR? 

Dr. KNIPLING. It causes us to not have Pay Act covered and increased costs. It causes us additional stress. And what we find is 

all of our research units, regardless of their priority, are suffering 

from this. And we have had those flat budgets now for three years 

in a row. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, certainly a CR is disruptive to the processes 

of moving money to universities and others, particularly with specialized grants. Certainly the case of earmarks is one where we 

don’t have any basis on which to make awards, and so there can 

be continuity in programs that are programmatic. 

I think the biggest concern that we have—two concerns—is that 

all changes in the budget tend to be concentrated in a short period 

of time; and the ability of the agency, and more importantly, the 

recipients, to respond to those changes is truncated by that short 

period of time. 

And the other challenge is for all the parties involved, the ability 

to get the work done of actually managing the processes of moving 

forward with funds. 

Mr. LATHAM. If we were March, we would be six months into the 

next fiscal year. I don’t know how you—— 

Dr. HEFFERAN. It is very problematic. 

Dr. SMITH. As Dr. Hefferan said, it takes time to spend money 

and the ways that you plan it. And if you don’t have the full 

amount of time, you end up not being able to do—— 

Mr. LATHAM. That is a news flash around this place. 

Dr. SMITH. You can’t do as good a job. If you have planned from 

the beginning of the year to spend money in a particular way and 

you get it midway through, it is difficult to compensate. 


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Mr. REILLY. This year would have been difficult if the CR had 

gone a little longer for the Census of Agriculture. This is our peak 

data collection year, and we were very close to making a decision 

one way or the other at the end of December whether we had the 

funds to be able to do the census. 

Looking ahead to next year, the census data collection will have 

been completed and our funds start dropping back down. So the CR 

won’t hurt us as much. 

Mr. LATHAM. Anything else? I am going to submit—I have got 

some people waiting—several questions to submit for the record. 

Thank you all very, very much, and I don’t really mean to be such 

a bad guy with you guys. I really do appreciate what you do. But 

obviously, there is frustration. We want to see you do more better. 

Okay? Thank you very much. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you, Mr. Latham. 

Mr. Farr. 

SALINAS VALLEY RESEARCH

Mr. FARR. Thank you very much. 

Dr. Buchanan, I have always liked your attitude. You are a cando guy and a thinker, and you pull it all together. And I really appreciate your prioritization coming before the committee. 

But let me just put something into perspective with you. You 

want to put more money into food safety, and particularly E. coli 

research. And the ground zero for E. coli research in spinach and 

lettuce is in the Salinas Valley. 

You are going to put money into bioenergy, and you have got 

some ongoing incredible—the only one in California that has been 

in biodiesel, and that is in the Salinas Valley. 

You are going to work on obesity and getting more money into 

figuring out how to reduce obesity, particularly in school children. 

And the only state and counties that have required in state law to 

have a nutritional program in schools is the state of California, and 

Monterey County has become the model for that. 

You are going to look at crop diseases, and we have not only diseases but pests that we have been battling that have been high priority—the glassy-winged sharpshooter, the LBAM, the verticillium 

wilt, and some other things. 

And you want to go into water reuse because the best management practices and the largest reclamation project in the United 

States on agriculture is in the Salinas Valley. 

It seems to me that all the things you want to solve are being 

done—and we have the largest monitoring and water quality and 

changing tilling practice, the best conservation, water conservation 

practices, and the largest organic growing area in the United 

States. 

It seems to me that there is a jurisdiction, a locality out there, 

where all of the things that you will put on the front lines of your 

highest priorities, that there is the ability to do that somewhere, 

to see how they are integrated. And yet, at the end of the testimony that Mr. Knipling gave, you said, ‘‘In the fiscal year 2009 

budget, we have a rescission of $67 million under the buildings and 

facilities account. Under this request, unallocated appropriations 

from partially funded earmark construction projects’’—Salinas ValVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00080 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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ley being one of them—‘‘and funds from the unobligated balances 

of completed facilities are to be cancelled and returned to the 

Treasury. Limited budgeted resources should be allocated to fund 

a critical facility such as the Athens biocontainment laboratory and 

consolidated poultry research facility rather than spread them 

among multiple projects and less critical need.’’ 

How can there be less critical need when you have got an ARS 

station in Salinas that is working, now has the only organic researcher, and it has the viticulture research program, and it has 

the sugar beet research program, and it has the integrated pest 

management and methyl bromide research—I mean, all of these 

things seem to come to a head in one of your research stations, 

which is—it is World War II Quonset huts. And rather than complete that project, you want to take the money out of that and put 

it in Athens. 

What Mr. Kingston and I—we want a win/win here. The University of California, under their new leadership, under new management, is coming in, last week was in my office, and said they are 

willing to put some money on the table in Salinas because they 

want to partner in the building. They want to partner. 

Now, if you are pulling out, then what I want to do is get that 

research facility built. And if you are going to do all these priorities, you are going to have to go to Monterey County because they 

have the experiences in an awful lot of these areas that you have 

just said are the most important issues in the nation. 

And that facility, it should be one of the exciting front line facilities. And instead, you want to cut the money out and put it all into 

Athens. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Let me respond, and I will let Dr. Knipling respond. 

This is the frustration that we have in setting priorities. Because 

we set the priorities because the only real facility we have in this 

year’s budget at ARS is the poultry lab. It is important because 

poultry is a critically important part of agriculture in this country. 

We are one of the world’s leaders in poultry, if not the world’s leader. We also have some real challenges. 

Mr. FARR. But it is a biocontainment laboratory. So why isn’t 

Homeland Security, why isn’t the Department of Health, why 

aren’t they all putting some money into this? It is in their interests, too. Why should it be on your back? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I can’t answer that one. Can you answer it, Ed? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, let me start with acknowledging certainly 

the importance of the issues you have raised. Certainly Salinas and 

Monterey County are a very important agricultural area. And we 

have many important areas across the country. 

Mr. FARR. And they do without any subsidies, either, water or 

any kind. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. Regarding the facilities, over the last several 

years the National Centers for Animal Health at Ames that Congressman Latham spoke about earlier, has been the agency’s and 

the department’s highest priority because of the concerns of animal 

health and the renewed concerns of potential counterterrorism or 

terrorism threats since 2001. 


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The Athens facility, the biocontainment for avian influenza, has 

emerged as the second highest priority for the agency and the department. And it is clearly within ARS’s mission to do—— 

Mr. FARR. Well, but look. There are other kinds of resources that 

can be pulled to that if it is as critical as you say, and I think it 

is. And I am not trying to degrade from the importance of those. 

But I do think that the only school that teaches a masters degree 

in homeland security and beginning to move into food safety is in 

Monterey, California. 

So the conversions of all these issues is in an area where you are 

not investing in the research facility. And that is my point, is that 

you can’t get there from here and answer the kinds of questions 

you want to do without modeling places that have had some experience in it. 

We have those experiences. We have the program. That is ground 

zero. Why aren’t we investing, as we did in poultry and as we did 

in livestock, but do it in a place where you can get a big bang for 

the buck? 

And that is my point, and I am just really upset that you are not 

just championing the ARS facility in Salinas. You were supposed 

to be the cheerleaders for that. And in your testimony, the issues 

are there but not the money for the facility. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, we do have major commitments to that facility, as we have identified. Let me talk about one other thing, too. 

Mr. FARR. Excuse me. What facility? The one in Salinas? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. The research program, yes, sir. We have a number of research—— 

Mr. FARR. How are you going to research? They are in Quonset 

huts. You can’t even put the equipment that they need in there because the buildings aren’t electrically or otherwise can’t hold the 

equipment. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, of course, the nature of facilities is you can 

only ask for so many. And of course, we made the priority of the 

Athens facility. We propose to close a lab in Michigan and consolidate all of our poultry disease work at the Athens facility, at the 

southeastern lab. So—— 

REDUCTION IN FACILITY APPROPRIATIONS

Mr. FARR. The testimony is you are giving $67 million back to 

the Treasury Department. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. This was part of the overall budget allowance. 

And speaking for the whole panel here and all of the department, 

the 2009 budget does reflect curtailed Federal spending. It does reflect returning money to the Treasury for offsets outside of agriculture, even. 

The $67 million rescission is for some 17 different projects that 

are partially funded for which there is not sufficient money to move 

ahead with. And then given the new priorities of the avian influenza biocontainment—— 

Mr. FARR. Right. So your testimony says, ‘‘Unallocated appropriation, partially funded earmark construction projects.’’ These aren’t 

just research projects. 

Dr. KNIPLING. That is correct. This is in the building and facilities account. We have two accounts. What we call the salary and 


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expenses, that supports our research programs themselves; and 

then a building and facilities account. So that rescission is from the 

building and facilities account. 

Mr. FARR. I would like to know exactly how much more money 

you need to get finished with the ARS building that you have designed and proposed for Salinas. 

Dr. KNIPLING. The total project is estimated at $68 million. 

Mr. FARR. Phases. Right? 

Dr. KNIPLING. I think that is for all phases, although it would be some sub-phases that would constitute that total. A total of $12 

million had been appropriated over several fiscal years, and this rescission affects about half of that, about $6 million. 

Mr. FARR. So you need how much for the first phase? $20 million? And you are going to rescind 12? 

Dr. KNIPLING. I don’t recall the actual phase amounts. But the total would be about an additional $62 million. 

Mr. FARR. What are you going to tell the University of California 

when they walk in and say they are willing to put millions of dollars on the table to partner with you? 

Dr. KNIPLING. I don’t know what we would say. Right now we 

don’t have any matching funds, and we don’t have the capability 

to match Federal and State funds for construction projects. 

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Kingston. 

PLUM ISLAND ANIMAL DISEASE CENTER

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Dr. Buchanan, I am concerned about this Plum Island Animal 

Disease Center which the Department of Homeland Security is proposing to revamp and changing the location because there is discussion of allowing hoof and mouth research on the mainland as 

opposed to an island. I know that law has to be changed. Maybe 

it can be done through the Secretary’s office. I don’t—you might be 

able to clarify that for me. 

But is the USDA working with DHS on that lab? And how much 

of a voice do you have? How much of a vote do you have? And then 

in terms of the risk between animal and human diseases regarding 

the CDC lab BSL–4 in Athens, Georgia, which seems to be a theme 

today—it has nothing to do with the other stuff we have been talking about—but how would that compare to Plum Island? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Let me make a comment, Congressman, and then 

again, this is an ARS issue so I will let Dr. Knipling also comment. 

We have been working with Homeland Security. In fact, my 

counterpart, who I have met with on a number of occasions—in 

fact, we have been briefed. I know in the visits that they have 

made, we had representatives from ARS on the review panel for 

the sites. We also had a person from one of our mission areas, not 

our mission area, but another mission area in the department that 

was on the review committee that looked at the different sites. 

And I know my counterpart at DHS has made it abundantly 

clear that while the facility would be their facility, we would be a 

prime occupant of it because much of the research that would go 

on there would be ARS as it is at Plum Island at the present time. 

Even though when it was transferred to DHS, and they assumed 

ownership of the facility, ARS still continued to have a major presVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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ence there. And many of the personnel—what, 65 percent, Ed— are 

ARS people. Do you want to—— 

Dr. KNIPLING. DHS will clearly have the decisionmaking authority on the site, but USDA has been very much involved with the 

entire process, to define the criteria and the program requirements 

that will have to be met by that facility to accommodate USDA programs. 

Both ARS and APHIS will be primary occupants of the facility 

along with DHS, so although it’s their decision, their decision has 

to meet our criteria in terms of program requirements. 

Regarding the bio-safety level 4, USDA believes, Department of 

Homeland Security believe that a bio-containment facility that 

meets those standards, it is very safe to use those foreign pathogens on the mainland, and so in essence it would be the same as 

the bio-safety level 4 in Georgia, for human pathogens. 

Mr. KINGSTON. So you guys will be in on the decision on where 

to locate, definitely, even though DHS might have the lead? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, it’ll be their decision, but they will seek our 

input. It won’t be a vote. 

They will make the decision based upon our input, and we’ve 

been involved all along, and in essence, the six sites that are still 

open for consideration have already met the USDA criteria. 

But there is some ongoing environmental impact assessment activities, and so that additional information that arises from that 

will again be reviewed by USDA. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Could you send a letter to me updating me on 

where that thinking is? 

Because I know this is beyond the scope of this hearing, but I’d 

like to know more about where that decision is and what direction 

it’s going in. I’d love to hear from you on it. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes, we can speak to the USDA role. 

FOREST SERVICE

Mr. KINGSTON. Okay. And Dr. Hefferan, I have a question for 

you. On the farm bill, why is it that the Forest Service is staying 

in the Department of the Interior? 

And I hold you personally responsible. [Laughter.] 

Mr. KINGSTON. I’d like to know why the Forest Service is staying 

in the Forest Department of the Interior, because we have the passion, we have the expertise on this committee, and Dr. Hefferan apparently is a big advocate of it. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. We certainly are an advocate of forest research. 

We have a substantial program through McIntire-Stennis and 

through our National Research Initiative. 

We also have a joint program this year which we’re funding with 

the Forest Service research programs that will focus on genomics 

of conifer trees. 

So we have a lot of collaboration, a lot of work. 

I think maybe Mr. Steele or somebody else would be best able 

to answer your question to the degree of why this is—why the appropriations for the Forest Service come out of the Department of 

the Interior much more effectively than I ever could. 

Mr. KINGSTON. I would like to stump him on a question. That 

would be good. 


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Mr. STEELE. Well, I think it’s a historical issue. 

I think it’s tradition that it has been, you know, the Forest Service has reported to the Appropriations Subcommittees, and that 

would take, I think, a change in Congress to make a decision as 

to which. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, it would appear to me that that would be 

done on a farm bill. 

Mr. STEELE. I don’t think we would propose—I don’t think the 

Federal Executive Branch would want to propose how Congress organizes its control over appropriations. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Just can’t get that guy. 

Ms. DELAURO. It’s always and ever about turf [Laughter.] 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, the history may have been that the Interior, 

with BLM or something, had more trees than cultivated land or 

something? 

Mr. STEELE. We’d have to provide that information for the 

record, if we could. 

[The information follows:] 

FOREST SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS

The Act of February 1, 1905, established the Forest Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and President Theodore Roosevelt named Gifford 

Pinchot the first Chief Forester. Questions soon arose regarding whether the Forest 

Service should be managed by USDA or by the Department of the Interior (DOI). 

On one occasion, Chief Pinchot offered the following explanation: ‘‘In the Department of Agriculture, where they are now, the Forest Service and the national forests 

are safe, and so well managed that (except for certain special interests) they have 

won the unanimous support of the nation. Their purpose is to grow trees, and they 

belong naturally in the department which has to do with growing all crops, including tree crops, from the soil. Forestry is a part of agriculture and is so recognized 

the world around.’’ 

A reorganization of the House Appropriations Committee in 1955 moved the responsibility for appropriating funds from the Agriculture Subcommittee to the Interior Subcommittee, starting with fiscal year 1956. According to the Congressional 

Record, the intent was to prevent overlap among agencies administering public 

lands. The Interior Subcommittee already had jurisdiction over the appropriations 

for the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. With the reorganization, the Interior Subcommittee gained the Forest Service, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, and a number of commissions. However, the 

Subcommittee lost other responsibilities, including the Bonneville Power Administration, the Southeastern and Southwestern Power Administrations, and the Bureau 

of Reclamation. According to one Interior Subcommittee member, ‘‘If it were not that 

the Forest Service had been placed under our jurisdiction, I do not know what we 

would have taken care of.’’ 

Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Sam Rayburn continually expressed concerns regarding the shift, arguing that, ‘‘This is an entering wedge to transfer the 

Forest Service from Agriculture to Interior. If it is, I certainly would regret it deeply, because I think this is a function of the Department of Agriculture and not a 

function of the Department of the Interior to look after our Forest Service.’’ The 

Chairman was reassured by Committee members that the jurisdiction for the Forest 

Service was not placed in Interior, only the appropriations, which would show the 

Forest Service as a related agency to DOI. The budget request would go through 

the Secretary of Agriculture, and funds would go directly to the Department of Agriculture and would not be administered by the Department of the Interior. Appropriations hearings would be held by the Interior subcommittee, but the Forest Service would be represented at the hearing by an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Yes. 

Mr. BUCHANAN. I would say one thing, that we do have a lot of 

collaboration with forestry, so a lot of our research programs are 

very much interconnected, so we talk all the time. 

So we do work together, very effectively. 


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Mr. KINGSTON. Well, thank you. 

FACILITY CLOSURES

Ms. DELAURO. Just let me see if we can get from you, in terms 

of the closing of the labs and facilities, if you could tell us what 

were the criteria on which these decisions were made to close these 

particular areas and where, in terms of the criteria, where these 

various facilities and laboratories fit, in terms of, you know, in your 

decisionmaking process. 

It also would be helpful, as a separate item, to Mr. Farr, that, 

as well the criteria on these construction areas, as well. That would 

be helpful to us. 

[The information from USDA follows:] 

Criteria for Proposed ARS Base Program Reductions and Redirections: (One or 

more apply to each location, program, and/or activity identified for closure or redirection.) 

• Marginal or below threshold funding for leveraging program viability and sustainability. 

• Programs are mature and objectives mainly accomplished, diminishing returns 

and impacts from continued research. 

• Lower priority research; have not been priority-funded initiatives by either Administration or Congress. 

• Disproportionally high and/or inefficient operating costs when considered in context of value and priority of research. 

• Redundant or duplicative capacity; research is also underway and/or can be 

done effectively and efficiently elsewhere in ARS. 

• Facilities inadequate and/or modernization/maintenance costs are prohibitive 

and involve out-year cost liabilities (a cost avoidance criterion). 

• Programs are not mainly research and therefore are outside or tangential to 

ARS core mission and program responsibility. 

• Low customer and stakeholder interest and support. 

VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE

The other thing, I would like unanimous consent to enter into 

the record this newspaper article which has— references what Mr. 

Latham was talking about. 

It’s an article from the New Haven Register, Sunday, March 9, 

2008: ‘‘Food Experts Worry as Demand Grows for Livestock Vets.’’ 

A very appropriate article, given the nature of the discourse. 

[The information follows:] 


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Ms. DELAURO. Thank you, Dr. Smith, on the broadband effort, 

because I think that is going to be a very, very helpful document. 

It looks like it’s a very expansive study, and in depth, so I think 

we look forward to that. 

TOBACCO RESEARCH

Let me move to some questions with regard to that, and this is 

another ARS question, that I understand the ARS recently stopped 

gathering, updating, and disseminating key information on tobacco, 

tobacco products, tobacco use. 

This information was provided in the past, it was important for 

Congress researchers, policy analysts, and others who are trying to 

understand the tobacco industry, the tobacco use in the U.S., or 

trying to develop effective ways to prevent and reduce tobacco use 

and its many harms. 

Of course, much of the information simply is not publicly available from any other source, much less in any convenient, readily 

accessible form. 

For a few examples, no one other than USDA’s ARS service has 

in the past publicly provided comprehensive information on the 

consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products in the U.S. 

along with information on amounts manufactured, exported, imported, and taxed, that on such things as the average prices 

charged for cigarettes, the amount of U.S. versus foreign grown tobacco in American made cigarettes, and where each dollar spent on 

tobacco products goes. 

From what we understand, neither USDA nor any other government agency is working to ensure that this information, important 

information will continue to be collected, analyzed, and made publicly available in a readily accessible form. 

Given, in my view, its critical importance and the small related 

costs, I want the department to go back to collecting, developing, 

and disseminating this information. 

Can you give us your commitment today that the USDA will go 

back to doing this important work and making important information publicly available? 

Dr. SMITH. It will be difficult to do that. 

The outlook program for tobacco was set up in order to serve the 

needs of the tobacco program, which of course has ended, and much 

of the primary data, especially that collected by the Foreign Agricultural Service, for foreign production and consumption, ceased, 

because they stopped collecting it after the tobacco program was 

eliminated. 

And furthermore, it’s hard to find good ready-made tobacco analysts. Ours went to the legislative branch. 

And it would at least take a few years to train somebody to understand a very complex market, and we had no backup for that 

one analyst. 

But I’ll certainly think about it. 

Ms. DELAURO. Well, I’d love to pursue that with you, because the 

data is important, just, you know, because of—you know, for all 

kinds of public health reasons, that is still ongoing. That’s a dynamic situation. 


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We may have ended, you know, that we’ve had the buy-up, but 

the need for the data and the information as we look to issues of 

public health are, I believe, critical, and this was, it looks like, the 

only source of data that exists. 

And so I would like to pursue that with you, to see what our opportunities are there. 

Dr. SMITH. Okay. 

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Ms. DELAURO. Let me try to see if I can get in, as I say, a quick 

question here. 

Rural development followup, Dr. Smith. 

You came up here, we talked about rural development, the conditions and trends and rural communities. 

I asked at that time to get your view of the movement in rural 

development, the evolution from grants and direct loans to loan 

guarantees, to get your view as to what that process and its effect 

on community facilities, on housing, on utilities, and on business 

development, the rural development budget. 

Again, we’re looking at a budget that’s come up here proposing 

to eliminate most of the grant programs and some of the direct 

loan programs in favor of guaranteed loan programs. 

What research has ERS done on this issue since the hearing, and 

are lower income rural communities able to repay loans to finance 

local environmental infrastructure, telecommunications services, 

and community facilities? 

Dr. SMITH. Since those hearings, we have investigated the capacity of smaller communities to repay loans. 

It is the smaller and more isolated communities that have difficulty repaying the loans, and therefore, have depended on grants. 

We are following up to get some more specifics on the actual effects on infrastructure within those communities and their development potential. 

But the general conclusion is there is a large number of communities that can’t guarantee that they can pay back even guaranteed 

loans. 

Ms. DELAURO. Dr. Smith, this is very relevant information as to 

how we move forward with this appropriations cycle, given, again, 

the scale of the elimination of the grant programs, the direct loan 

programs. 

So I would like to have the information that you currently have 

and know what is still missing, et cetera, but this is the kind of 

very valuable information that helps us to make informed policy 

decisions that are not based anecdotally, but on substance and fact, 

so that we can really, truly have public policy that is assisting 

those communities that we are charged with trying to assist. 

Dr. SMITH. I can get you a summary. 

[The information follows:] 

Since the hearing in the spring of 2007, ERS has committed to obtaining Bureau 

of the Census Consolidated Federal Funds Report data and assigning staff to summarize the data, update the information annually, and make the findings available 

on the ERS Web site. ERS will aggregate the data to reveal the urban-rural distribution of Federal fundings, and summarize the information by selected characteristics of counties, program function, and type of payment. Preliminary findings indiVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:07 Apr 22, 2009 Jkt 048544 PO 00000 Frm 00090 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 E:\HR\OC\A544P2.XXX A544P2

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cate that poor rural (nonmetro) counties generally receive more grants and direct 

loans, and fewer guaranteed loans than rural counties in general. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you very, very much. 

Mr. KINGSTON. 

OBESITY PREVENTION RESEARCH

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you. 

Dr. Knipling, question in terms of PE for life, which has broad 

bipartisan support around here. 

It’s about, you know, physical fitness programs in schools and 

getting kids to basically commit, to understand that exercise and 

eating right is a lifetime commitment. The ARS has $12 million for obesity prevention, but don’t we already understand what’s making kids obese? 

And isn’t it time maybe to quit studying it and do something 

more than what we’re doing about it? 

And it almost seems like we’re spinning our wheels here. We’ve 

identified a problem and we’re pointing it out and we’re trying to 

educate people, but I don’t know if we’re getting anywhere with it. 

Dr. KNIPLING. There are so many variables, and in fact, I’m not 

sure we always understand the dynamics of food consumption and 

weight gain among different population groups, age groups, income 

groups, and so forth. 

Some of it’s certainly behavioral research, along with biological 

research. 

We need to get that sound base of information for policy making, 

and to develop the appropriate guidelines and interventions. And so that’s what this $12 million enhancement for obesity prevention, and it goes back to what we talked about earlier, validating, verifying the guidelines as they’re now used by different 

groups, and a basis for improving the guidelines, but then also improve those interventions, so to speak. 

There will also be one component of that that does address the 

relationships between nutrition, eating, and exercise. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Can you tell me some success stories here? 

I mean, it just really sounds like, yeah, we’re going to study obesity, because that’s a safe thing to say you’re going to spend money 

on. 

But do you have any success stories where you can say—I mean, 

we’ve been studying obesity for years. 

Do you have any success stories to say this particular pilot program in this particular area has really shown some good results? 

Dr. KNIPLING. I’m not sure I do have a good example. 

We have worked in the Mississippi Delta with a program in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, through an intervention program, and that in fact has not yielded the response that we had 

hoped for. That’s been going on for 10 years. 

And in fact, that program, although it will continue, will in fact 

kind of go back to some of these basics, to understand what in fact 

Americans are eating in these different groups, to get that fundamental understanding. 

Mr. KINGSTON. We’ve been studying this for years, though. 

I mean, it just seems to me like at this point you would say, hey, 

you know, we’ve gone as far as we can go, maybe USDA ought to 


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get out of it and let the Department of Education do it, maybe it 

should be all done through state grants, maybe it’s only education, 

not research, maybe it’s all research and not education, maybe we 

should be pursuing some magic pill. 

It seems to me at this point USDA ought to be able to say, here 

is what we’re finding to be effective. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, the obesity part of our program, prevention 

part of our program is, in fact, a relatively new dimension to our 

human nutrition research, and we have not focused on that in the 

past. 

And we do not believe, do not agree that we know everything we 

need to know. We in fact need to know much more about—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. We know enough. 

Dr. KNIPLING [continuing]. Behavior. 

Mr. KINGSTON. We know enough to get somewhere, should we as 

a society choose to. 

EXPANDED FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM

Mr. BUCHANAN. Let me comment, too. 

We have programs as to research and education. The EFNEP 

program by Dr. Hefferan is one that really works with a group of 

people that really need help, and how do they use the food they 

have in a more efficient way. 

So it’s like many things in research. We know a great deal about 

the whole area of obesity as well as human nutrition, but there’s 

new things that’s found every day. 

I was up at our nutrition lab in Boston, what’s the name of the 

place—and saw where they were doing work on finding more effective ways of things that blueberries do for human nutrition. 

So while there’s a lot known about obesity, there’s a lot known 

about nutrition, there’s still a lot more yet to be learned. 

But I’d like Dr. Hefferan to comment on the EFNEP and how it 

impacts on this whole issue. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, certainly the Expanded Food and Nutrition 

Education Program, which is almost 40 years old, has been one of 

the most effective intensive nutrition education programs, and I’ll 

give you one example. 

In a study of the long-term impact of the program, participants 

in the program showed an increase of more than one-and-a-half 

servings of fruits and vegetables per day, probably the best bellwether for diet improvement of any measure we have. 

I will also say that the cooperative extension system between the 

U.S. government, and the universities, and local levels supports 

and implements the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program 

through agreements with the Food and Nutrition Service as well as 

EFNEP, as well as a variety of other programs that involve partnerships with organizations such as the Walk Across a State movement, Walk Across Kansas, Walk Across Connecticut, walk across 

your State, and other physical fitness programs, because clearly the 

research that the universities have supported and certainly ARS 

shows that long-term nutritional health is a combination of good 

eating patterns and physical activity. 


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OBESITY

Mr. KINGSTON. Do you have any idea of the percentage of people 

who are on food stamps who are obese? 

You don’t have any numbers on that? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. I don’t know. 

I believe the Food and Nutrition Service would have that information, and certainly the ARS has. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Do you know what they are offhand? Could you 

provide that to me? 

Why should food stamps have on its allowed list junk food? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, I certainly can’t answer that question, but 

I will tell you that there have been some recent analyses that have 

shown that the incidence of obesity is not coincident with food 

stamp receipt. 

There may be other corollary factors, but receiving food stamps 

does not lead to obesity. There’s no causal effect. 

It may well be an education issue, it may be. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, that’s what I’m getting at, if there’s an education opportunity that we’re not taking advantage of by allowing, 

say, potato chips, or a particular product, maybe not potato 

chips——maybe, maybe not—that have no nutritional value, and 

we’re allowing it to be something that on food stamps people can 

have, you’re not using that opportunity to educate people. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, again, the Food and Nutrition Service can 

address this more effectively than I can, but I will say, while the 

Food Stamp Program allows recipients to purchase a very broad 

range of foods, programs that are focused on women, children, and 

infants and children have a particular market basket of foods 

which emphasizes the kinds of nutritional products that are needed 

to promote growth and development. 

And so the design of the programs does vary. Their purposes 

vary. 

And we certainly have found that, in all of these programs, having substantial educational components can have an effect on what 

people actually choose to eat in the programs, and then coupling 

that with education that links together physical.—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. Are we missing that opportunity, though, on food 

stamps? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, there is a Food Stamp Nutrition Education 

Program where there is a set-aside that’s ranged from 100 to 200 

million dollars a year that is provided to contractors, the majority 

of whom are state extension programs, to provide that nutrition 

education. 

So there is an educational component, as well as other program. 

Mr. KINGSTON. And has that shown where that money is, has it 

shown to be effective and helpful? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. It’s shown to be effective. 

I agree with the premise of your question, though. These programs are challenging. 

It’s obviously a continuing need for research, a continuing need 

to evaluate what is effective in influencing what children eat. 

I think it’s the reason that experiments such as the movement 

of healthy snacks, fruit and vegetable snacks, into schools have 


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been so exciting for people, because they have shown that they 

change behavioral patterns. 

Basically, I think our message is that you need to work in partnerships with lots of public health and other citizen groups to be 

effective in nutrition education, and it does, there is great value in 

having that education research base. 

Ms. SMITH. Mr. Kingston, a quick clarification for the record. 

What we have is the information on the probability that food 

stamp recipients are obese, based on sample data, so we don’t 

have—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. Well, I can see the cause and effect is not there, 

but what I’m just curious about is if you have an ongoing customer, 

so to speak, for example, and I know I’m out of time, but nowadays 

when you fly on an airline, they try to sell you a credit card. 

And, you know, it’s not a bad marketing idea. You are a truly 

captive audience. So why not try to get everybody signed up for a 

credit card? 

And it would appear to me that if you have people on the food 

stamp program, you have an opportunity to educate them on nutrition and a need there, and maybe we’re not capitalizing on that. 

Ms. DELAURO. Important to note that EFNEP, the 2009 budget 

will be cut by $3.2 million. 

Mr. FARR. 

INTEGRATED FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH

Mr. FARR. I want to comment, I think, Mr. Kingston. 

And Ms. DeLauro said that the frustration that we have is we 

have a panel like yours for the entire department of all the different agencies, and with the Food and Drug Administration, but 

where I find the frustration is that we have created all these stovepipes. 

One, the old issue about, you know, how the forestry department 

got into the Department of Agriculture, is one of those old stovepipes. 

But these stovepipes just don’t, in the modern era, seem to want 

to get together to apply what we’ve—it’s not so much that we need 

more money. We need to apply what we’ve learned and coordinate 

it better. 

And I’m very pleased with the Integrated Food Safety Initiative 

that you’ve put together, and bringing together in CSREES, the 

Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration. 

But I wonder if you’ve got other efforts going on, because when 

I go home, what I run into is programs that are receiving some federal funds but on the other hand, a lot of the federal folks don’t 

even know what happens when they hit the ground, because they 

haven’t gone out there and seen how to have them applied. 

And so what other efforts with state, and state universities that 

are doing research, particularly in the food safety research related 

and fresh produce? 

Have you got other entities that are tying into the integrated 

food safety initiative, or are they just federal agencies? 


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Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, we have a number of activities supporting 

food safety, the integrated program which does link together a variety of programs. 

Through the National Research Initiative, we have two major 

programs in food safety, one on microbial contamination that looks 

at what we’ve talked about, as well as campylobacter and other 

kinds of microbial contaminants, and it is through that program 

that we have funded jointly research between the University of 

California at Davis and the ARS in California to look actually in 

advance of the most recent concerns about spinach contamination, 

have had work going on in advance of that. 

We also have a program that links together food safety issues 

with epidemiology, which has been very critical to helping us understand—— 

Mr. FARR. Could you give me a list of the other—— 

Dr. HEFFERAN. We will be pleased to give you a list of the other 

programs, and even some samples of the awards and the work 

that’s being done, that is being done with the universities, and 

often in collaboration with ARS and with the Food and Drug Administration. 

[The information follows:] 


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STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON LEAFY GREENS RESEARCH

Mr. FARR. California has created a mandate in state law that 

every school district, and there’s 1,200 school districts in California, 

has to come up with a nutritional plan. 

I mean, for the first time, you know, everybody has been interested in what you teach in the classroom. 

Now, they’re interested, parents are interested in what are you 

eating in the lunchroom. 

And that plan is really going to radically change, I think, the 

feeding traditions in schools, which is where you’re going to begin 

to fight this obesity program. 

Mr. Kingston asked about the educational, the effort you’re doing 

in food and nutrition, the food and nutrition departments doing in 

early childhood education. 

They’re getting these young kids to go in and learn the values 

of fruits and vegetables. 

And where it is effective is the store manager in Salinas, the 

Safeway store manager, asked the parents, ‘‘There’s something 

going on in your schools, because kids are coming in here making 

their parents buy Kiwis, and I’ve never had to order so many Kiwis 

in my life.’’ So it has a marketplace effect. 

I want to ask you, it’s my understanding that CSREES, you convened a research panel and they presented a report in November 

from the produce industry’s leading scientists, that gave you the 

priority of leafy green research, that would address some of the important research priorities, including intervention strategies, assessment of risk, and risk reduction, and microbial ecology of 

pathogens. 

And I just wondered what you’ve done with that report, and how 

you’ve implemented it, the recommendations of that panel, of that 

research panel. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. That’s part of our ongoing efforts to listen to 

stakeholders, as we design our competitive programs. 

And that actually is being reviewed and used right now as we’re 

writing the request for applications for the National Research Initiative and the Integrated Food Safety Program for this coming 

cycle. 

We’ve also used that in collaboration with some detailed guidance that we have from the Food and Drug Administration about 

their research priority. 

So those are the primary inputs to the design of our food safety 

calls for proposals in several programs. 

Mr. FARR. Have those been passed on to the Secretary and were 

they considered in this—in the administration’s priorities for—in 

their budget request for these specialty crop initiatives? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Well, the Secretary’s office certainly has a substantial interest in specialty crops, and food safety is one of the primary issues within that. 

I guess I’m avoiding the obvious answer. 

To my knowledge, we did not pass those letters on to the Secretary’s office, or the results of that particular workshop, at least 

not in a specific sense, but it’s the basis—— 


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Mr. FARR. That means that changing that—if they recommend 

priorities, are those priorities getting into the ask, or the appropriations process? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. I think the priorities of food safety are absolutely 

central to the considerations in our programs, but directly, they 

have an influence on how we allocate the funding that is ongoing 

funding in our food safety programs, both, as I say, in our integrated program, for which we’re asking for a small increase, and 

in the National Research Initiative. 

Mr. FARR. I guess that’s a yes answer, but I am concerned, if you 

use all that brainpower and they give you some great recommendations, does it make any difference to the way we prioritize funding 

for the department? 

I would hope the answer is yes. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. The answer is yes, that it makes a tremendous 

difference in how we utilize the ongoing funding that we’re requesting through this committee. 

SALINAS VALLEY RESEARCH

Mr. FARR. I’m just going to complete my statement, is that I really, to this research station in Salinas not just because it’s in my 

district, but because so much of what’s happening in agriculture, 

in fresh—you know, I stated an early comment that the Census Department indicated that the largest farm income per county in the 

United States, the five largest counties are in California, and Monterey was the largest. 

I mean, there’s something very magical going on there, in the 

fact that, without any subsidies, just private investment, that this 

is the most successful agricultural county, growing all of, you know, 

85 different crops—you know, all the things we’re talking about, 

these are all fresh fruits and vegetables—that how do you distribute those? How do you get them into the feeding programs? 

If you look at all the dietary recommendations, the foods that 

they tell you to eat are grown in that county and in other parts 

of California, primarily, and yet very little of, other than U.C. 

Davis and Riverside, very little of the department’s—you know, all 

the things that the department does gets into California. The one 

area that is, is research. 

And, you know, I applaud you for that, but I still think you’re 

way behind the eight ball on trying to match up what is essentially 

going on in the street with what you have in resource capability 

here at the federal level. 

And I don’t know how you can do that without having—you have 

a station in Salinas. 

It’s really been one of your more important stations, because I 

saw the rankings in the United States, and I think it ranks 16th 

and five, and yet it’s literally living in sheds. 

And we need to fix that missing link, particularly now that 

you’ve got partners that want to come in, local partners, with the 

University of California and local agriculture itself. 

We’ve got so much going on, I just hate to see that—to not have 

the whole gamut of where you’re best, which is research, having a 

first-class establishment in an area that is doing so much to turn 

the corner on the issues that you’re trying to solve. 


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Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Kingston. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Thank you. 

COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

Dr. Buchanan, tell me what’s going on with colony collapse dis- order, because I think last year you got $7 million and this year 

you got 800,000, so, you know, we’re appreciative that you need 

less money, but I hope that means you found something out. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I’m not sure we found the solution, but I do know 

that we have certainly been active over the past year. 

In fact, ARS has an active program and CSREES has a CAP 

grant that will be awarded sometime this spring, Dr. Hefferan? 

Dr. HEFFERAN. That’s right. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. That involves a number of universities and a 

number of different scientists working, so it’s one of those issues 

that a lot of work is going on, but we haven’t solved the problem 

yet, Congressman. 

Mr. KINGSTON. But that’s a big drop in your request. 

I’m right on that number, aren’t I, 7 million last year and you 

want 800,000 this year? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I think that was additional, wasn’t it? 

Mr. KINGSTON. Oh, that was the increase? Okay. So you 

want—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I think that was the additional. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Yes. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Okay. About a 10 percent increase over last year. 

Mr. FARR. Will the gentleman yield? 

Mr. KINGSTON. Yes. 

Mr. FARR. I was in my orchard last week, and there were no 

bees. And all of the trees are flowering. It’s tragic. 

BEE POLLINATION

Mr. KINGSTON. How long could we survive without bees, if there 

was a serious wipeout of the bee population? 

How long before it would drastically affect the food supply? 

Dr. KNIPLING. We don’t really know the answer to that. 

There are, in addition to the honeybees, though, there are alternative pollinators, other kinds of insects though, that can—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. The pollinators are affected by this, also, as I understand it. 

Dr. KNIPLING. We think this malady, the Colony Collapse Disorder, is just affecting the honeybee. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Okay. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Not the other pollinators. 

But it would be a tremendous impact if we did not have honeybees. 

It’s hard to put a value on pollination, but there have been various estimates of at least $15 billion of, especially the horticulture 

specialty crops that are dependent upon pollination. 

Mr. KINGSTON. If it’s only affecting honeybees, that’s got to be 

some clue in itself, right? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Oh, yes. 

Mr. KINGSTON. Because what would make it affect the honeybee 

and not a pollinating bee? 


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Dr. KNIPLING. Well, it would be, as you say, it would be specific 

to the honeybee. 

We think it’s a combination of things. We don’t know the cause. 

It’s probably not a single thing, but a combination of many maladies. 

Mr. KINGSTON. What’s the difference between one bee and the 

other, in terms of genetic design? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, they’re distinct species. 

Many of the alternative pollinators are not social insects. They 

don’t aggregate in hives. They’re more individual insects. 

And that, in itself, probably lends itself to less risk and vulnerability to a disease or some other causal factor that affects the 

whole colony, so to speak. 

Mr. KINGSTON. So it would be maybe a behavior difference rather 

than a biological difference? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, I think the behavioral difference then predisposes or lends itself to the biological. 

We do believe it’s biological, or perhaps nutritional, other kinds 

of environmental stresses. We think it’s a combination of those. 

And we have a number of experimental activities underway to 

test those theories, or to get some facts and get away from just 

speculation and anecdotal indicators of what’s going on. 

But we are—we have a—we have four honeybee research laboratories around the country that are working together in a coordinated fashion, in cooperation with the university and the industry, 

for that matter. And so we are—— 

Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Farr and I have to ask, are any of those ARS 

labs slated to be closed? 

Dr. KNIPLING. The honeybee laboratory at Weslaco, Texas is to 

be relocated and consolidated with the other three. 

So we’re not losing any resources on honeybees, and in fact, this 

budget does have a slight enhancement of the program to address 

this CCD problem, plus we’re mobilizing, remobilizing what we already have to address this problem. 

Mr. KINGSTON. All right, now, I’m going to yield back my time, 

but I would like to know what happens in the food chain and what 

happens to a society without a honeybee. 

I mean, to me, I did not know that this was only for honeybees, 

because I thought it did affect pollinators, but I’d like to know, if 

you can send me, you know, what happens if your honeybee population greatly decreases. 

Mr. FARR. You’d have no apples, or avocadoes. 

Mr. KINGSTON. But if it’s not a pollinator? 

I’d like to know the answer to that, as much as possible. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. We are very much aware, Congressman Farr, 

that almonds is the largest export crop from California, and bees 

are very critical for almonds. 

FOOD STAMP PROGRAM

Ms. DELAURO. Let me, just a piece of information, and then I’ll 

just have a couple of questions. 

We were talking about the food stamp program before. 

As I understand it, the average benefit for food stamps is about 

$101.53. That’s for 30 days, about 90 meals. It’s $1.13 per meal. 


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Try to buy all the healthy food that you can get—milk, cereal, 

fruit—for $1.13 a meal. 

This tells you something about what folks are potentially forced 

to buy in order that they can feed their family and make that $1.13 

stretch. 

As my colleague Mr. Kingston leaves, I’m going to enlist your 

help in the farm bill, if we ever get to a farm bill, to move on the 

nutrition portion of the farm bill, which we did a good job of in the 

House, but the Senate wants to cut that back. 

And part of that nutrition package is the fruit and vegetable 

snack program. 

In addition to that, it increases the standard benefit for food 

stamp recipients, so that in fact they might be able to avail themselves of products that are more healthy and less destructive to 

their health and to the health of their children. 

Mr. KINGSTON. I think we have—do we have Mrs. Johner coming 

up? 

AGRICULTURE WATER USE

Ms. DELAURO. She’s coming on Thursday. 

I have a question on the water use. 

Dr. Buchanan, it’s an unbelievable statistic. Maybe I got it 

wrong. 

It said, in California alone, the use of water in fruit and vegetable operations accounts for over 40 percent of total national 

water consumption. 

Is this total water consumption for all purposes or total national 

agriculture water consumption? And how was the calculation 

made? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I’m not sure I can answer that. I can get that answer for you. 

Ms. DELAURO. Okay. That’s fine. Okay. 

And I don’t know whether or not the level has gone up or down 

in the past eight, ten years. 

So if you can get back to me on that. I thought it was a staggering number. 

Dr. BUCHANAN. I know water consumption is extremely high, but 

I don’t know the particular. I’ll have to get them back to you. 

[The information follows:] 

Fruit and vegetable processors in California alone use over 62,000 acre feet of 

water per year (55 million gallons per day) in their operations. Agriculture accounts 

for 43 percent of the total surface and ground water consumed annually in California. 

Nationwide, agriculture is a major user of ground and surface water, accounting 

for 80 percent of consumptive use. Based on the data currently available, national 

agriculture consumption appears to have been relatively stable during the period 

1985–2000. Water use data is compiled in five-year intervals by the U.S. Geological 

Service. 

Ms. DELAURO. Let me ask you a quick question, and I’m not asking this question without my colleague from Georgia knowing that 

I’m asking the question. I’m not blindsiding him since he left, he 

left the room. 


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SOUTHEAST POULTRY LABORATORY

This is on the Georgia ARS facility. I understand that $16 million for planning and design of the bio-containment facility, I know 

it’s a BSL–3 facility, 16 million for planning and design seems very 

high. 

Why? Why does it cost so much? 

How was the contract for planning and design awarded? Was it 

put out competitively for bid? What did you do to limit the cost as 

much as possible? 

Dr. KNIPLING. The architectural and engineering cost phase of 

any construction project is generally on the order of 10 percent, and 

this is actually a little less than that. 

So that’s kind of a standard cost of any construction project, 

roughly 10 percent for the up-front planning and design and feasibility studies, and then 90 percent for construction. 

Yes, the contract for—well, that contract has not been let yet, but 

it will be competitively allocated. 

There was a pre-designed phase that is complete, and that actually was the basis for arriving at the cost estimates. That also was 

under a competitive contract. 

Ms. DELAURO. That’s all. That really is a serious amount of 

money. 

And what it prompts me to do, to be very honest with you, is to 

look at some of these other, you know, design phases here where 

some of these are planning and designing this one facility, to take 

a look at the others, and see what the heck we’re doing here, and 

with the cost of these efforts. 

NUTRITION RESEARCH

Let me, ARS again, on nutrition assistance and education programs. 

Where do you think the department should focus its resources for 

nutrition education? 

You’ve studied various nutrition issues over the past two decades. 

We’ve got just a few minutes of time here. 

What have you learned, and what do we still not understand? 

Dr. SMITH. I would love to be able to reply after some consideration and briefing. 

Ms. DELAURO. Yeah, that’s fine. That’s very good. Thank you. 

I have—this is—all the results of the research, we were talking 

about research before, how does it get out? 

How does the information get out? What happens? What’s the— 

how does it get into the public domain? What is its utilization? 

What’s the followup on the research? Did it make sense? Didn’t 

it make sense? 

What’s the evaluation process of all of this research we’re doing 

with the universities, with other—what happens to it all? 

DISSEMINATING RESEARCH INFORMATION

Dr. BUCHANAN. All scientists publish the results of their research 

in respect, refereed journals. 


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That’s the first step in the publication process, is to publish original research findings in refereed journals. 

That’s for ARS scientists, for university scientists, for anyone 

that does research. 

Then there’s multiple ways to go from there, and certainly, one 

of the ways is through the Cooperative Extension Service, which is 

a research-based organization in which the Extension Service takes 

findings from research and translates them then to applications 

and delivers that information to the end user, whether it’s a homeowner or whether it’s a farmer or whoever could use the information. 

I’m pleased to report that, just two weeks ago, three weeks ago, 

the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service 

rolled out eXtension, which is a new way of using Web-based information to get information out, plus it brings together information 

from all over the country. 

It’s truly a coordinated effort to get the best information out to 

everybody that has access to the Web, and that’s important. 

ARS also has other ways of getting information out. It has, in addition to the publications, it has the tech transfer unit, in which 

they are very effective in getting information out. 

And of course then you have all kinds of other ways, such as field 

days, in which we have open houses. 

In fact, right here on Capitol Hill this past week, we had an opportunity, Science on the Hill. I don’t know if any of you went. 

But it had some tremendous displays of research from land grant 

universities, from ARS and others, on nutrition and food safety research. 

So there’s all kinds of ways of getting information out that’s, I 

think, very effective. 

Ms. DELAURO. Yes, Dr. Hefferan. 

Dr. HEFFERAN. Certainly, the eXtension program is important to 

us, and it’s not only because it’s Web-based, but it’s built on something called communities of practice, where experts from across the 

country, university and other experts review the latest research, 

and vet it. 

I think that’s one of the big problems. Certainly nutrition is a 

good example. 

There’s so much information that goes out to citizens, and they 

don’t know what is based on many studies, what’s based on an episodic study, how do you really use that information to make decisions? 

So one of the qualities of eXtension is that it does that with real 

experts looking at information before it’s made available. 

We also use the Small Business Innovation Research Program to 

try to expedite the movement of new findings. 

I know ARS has a very comprehensive program of cooperative research and development agreements with a number of private vendors to try to make sure that findings are quickly moved into the 

marketplace. 

But I will tell you, having said all of that, it’s one of our biggest 

concerns and the area we work on the most. 

I think the one thing that USDA can take great pride in over the 

last several years is that we have integrated our research and our 


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extension programs, and even our higher education programs in a 

more deliberate way that has fed the use of science in the labs, and 

looked at what needs to be fundamental, what needs to be applied, 

and how quickly can you move it out. So that is a very high priority for us. 

One last example I’ll give is that we, of course, in our budget, 

support a laboratory network for diagnostics for plant and animal 

systems around the country. 

We brought that together with ARS, with the Risk Management 

Agency, with APHIS and others, to work with the universities to 

help plot the movement of soybean rust across the country, which 

had the effect of giving producers information that helped them 

manage their work. 

That was integrating all that research and a variety of systems 

together to solve a very real problem. 

And we’re looking in this budget to expand that kind of network 

and to really make relevant the science that we’re producing. 

Ms. DELAURO. Thank you. Thanks very, very much. 

Mr. Farr, you have one last question? 

ORGANIC RESEARCH

Mr. FARR. I do. I wanted to just hit for a moment on the organic 

research. 

I understand that you’ve got a long-term dialogue with stakeholders, and ARS has developed an excellent organic research plan 

within ARS in the integrated agricultural systems program, and 

NP–216. 

And I just wondered what the implementation status of this plan 

was, and its objectives, and what progress is being made by ARS 

towards redressing the historical deficit of scientific investigation of 

organic systems and their potential benefits. 

And I also thought that, as Dr. Knipling outlined in his six priorities, of what research investments are being made in those research priorities for the potential contribution of organic systems in 

meeting the needs of those priorities. 

Dr. KNIPLING. As you point out, the Organic Agricultural Research Program is significant and identifiable. 

We did have this stakeholder meeting in 2006 to develop a set 

of priorities and an action plan. 

We have organic agricultural research at about a dozen locations 

in ARS, including a significant amount at Salinas. 

We classify the organic research in several different ways, but we 

identify roughly $15 million among these dozen locations of effort, 

annual effort toward organic agriculture, and about half of that is 

actually field-based research under organic production systems, 

conditions. 

Then beyond that, much of our research related to pest management, genetic improvement, the specialty crop production systems, 

maybe not specifically organic, but it’s highly relevant to organic, 

to develop the tools, the use of non-pesticidal tools that can be applied to organic. 

So in the broadest sense, I would say we probably have on the 

order of 5 percent of our total ARS program directed, either directed or indirectly relevant to organic agriculture production. 


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Mr. FARR. [Not on microphone]—historical deficit. It’s only 5 percent for scientific investigation. 

Dr. KNIPLING. Well, I’m not sure I would characterize that as a 

deficit. 

Now, that 5 percent is ARS-wide of everything we do. If we just 

focus on the crop science, the crop production part of that, that percentage would be a much higher amount. 

Mr. FARR. Okay. Then perhaps you can submit in writing how 

you can address the organic potential contribution organic systems 

can make in meeting your priorities? 

Dr. KNIPLING. Yes. 

[The information follows:] 

ARS organic agricultural systems research provides both organic and conventional 

producers with scientific information and technology to increase production efficiency and food safety, safeguard the environment, and reduce production risks and 

product losses. Researchers are identifying system-wide strategies to overcome soil 

fertility limitations to replace the need for synthetic petroleum-based fertilizers; 

whole-system biological-based management strategies for weed, insect pest, and disease control based on an understanding of the biological and physical properties innate to plants, soils, invertebrates, and microbes to naturally regulate pest problems; whole-farm management strategies to economically bridge the three-year period required to certify fields before selling organic products; and partnering with 

other agencies to help producers define new market outlets for regionally produced 

products. All of this research benefits not only the organic industry, but conventional producers as well, by reducing their need for increasingly more costly synthetic agricultural chemicals. 

Mr. BUCHANAN. I’d like to comment that the Farm Bill proposals 

that were put forth by the Administration included $100 million a 

year for specialty crop research and education, and of course, obviously, organic would be a major part of that. 

In fact, there was $10 million specifically requested for organic 

research. 

Mr. FARR. And how much for the rest of it—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, this was—in the farm bill, the only two categories that was requested was for specialty crop and for bio-energy. 

There was a request for $50 million a year for bio- energy research and $100 million a year for specialty crops. That was the 

only two categories. 

Mr. FARR. Yeah, they’re the new kids on the block. 

And I’m just wondering, in the total picture of research, what do 

those $100 million represent, out of what? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, of course, we have a major commitment in 

addition to our ongoing program in specialty crops, so that would 

be a hard question for me to answer. 

RESEARCH BUDGET

Mr. FARR. What’s our total research budget? 

Dr. BUCHANAN. For the four agencies, it’s 2.3 billion. 

Mr. FARR. 2.3 billion, and so 100 million for organic and—— 

Dr. BUCHANAN. Well, certainly, a good part of the rest of the programs do pertain to specialty crops. 

This is not the only thing. This is just an enhancement that we 

requested. 

Dr. KNIPLING. I could perhaps add to that, specifically for ARS, 

plant science/crop science is the largest part of our total program, 


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I would say roughly 40 percent, and for ARS, that’s about $400 million. 

About half of that we would classify as horticultural crops versus 

the other half, agronomic crops. 

Now, to the extent we consider horticultural crops and specialty 

crops one and the same, we’re close to 50 percent of our plant 

science/crop science effort oriented toward horticultural crops or 

specialty crops. 

Mr. FARR. Well, I’d just like to point out in your testimony pointed out that one of the major organic research ARS stations is in 

Salinas, and I might add that that Salinas station is falling apart. 

Ms. DELAURO. Let me say thank you to our panel, for your time, 

your patience, and for the work that you do, and for your candidness in our questions here this morning. 

Obviously, we will be submitting questions for the record. 

There were some questions asked, and we’ll get more information 

from you, but we’re appreciative of the good work that you do on 

a regular basis. 

Thank you for being here this morning. 

The hearing is adjourned. 


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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 230 here 48544A.116
165 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 231 here 48544A.117
166 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 232 here 48544A.118
167 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 233 here 48544A.119
168 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 234 here 48544A.120
169 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 235 here 48544A.121
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 236 here 48544A.122
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 237 here 48544A.123
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 238 here 48544A.124
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 239 here 48544A.125
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 240 here 48544A.126
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 241 here 48544A.127
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 242 here 48544A.128
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 243 here 48544A.129
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 244 here 48544A.130
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 245 here 48544A.131
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 246 here 48544A.132
181 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 247 here 48544A.133
182 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 248 here 48544A.134
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 249 here 48544A.135
184 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 250 here 48544A.136
185 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 251 here 48544A.137
186 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 252 here 48544A.138
187 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 253 here 48544A.139
188 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 254 here 48544A.140
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 255 here 48544A.141
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 256 here 48544A.142
191 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 257 here 48544A.143
192 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 258 here 48544A.144
193 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 259 here 48544A.145
194 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 260 here 48544A.146
195 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 261 here 48544A.147
196 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 262 here 48544A.148
197 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 263 here 48544A.149
198 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 264 here 48544A.150
199 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 265 here 48544A.151
200 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 266 here 48544A.152
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 267 here 48544A.153
202 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 268 here 48544A.154
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 269 here 48544A.155
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 270 here 48544A.156
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 271 here 48544A.157
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 272 here 48544A.158
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 273 here 48544A.159
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 274 here 48544A.160
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 275 here 48544A.161
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 276 here 48544A.162
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 277 here 48544A.163
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 278 here 48544A.164
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 279 here 48544A.165
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 280 here 48544A.166
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 281 here 48544A.167
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 282 here 48544A.168
217 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 283 here 48544A.169
218 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 284 here 48544A.170
219 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 285 here 48544A.171
220 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 286 here 48544A.172
221 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 287 here 48544A.173
222 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 288 here 48544A.174
223 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 289 here 48544A.175
224 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 290 here 48544A.176
225 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 291 here 48544A.177
226 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 292 here 48544A.178
227 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 293 here 48544A.179
228 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 294 here 48544A.180
229 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 295 here 48544A.181
230 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 296 here 48544A.182
231 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 297 here 48544A.183
232 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 298 here 48544A.184
233 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 299 here 48544A.185
234 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 300 here 48544A.186
235 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 301 here 48544A.187
236 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 302 here 48544A.188
237 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 303 here 48544A.189
238 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 304 here 48544A.190
239 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 305 here 48544A.191
240 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 306 here 48544A.192
241 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 307 here 48544A.193
242 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 308 here 48544A.194
243 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 309 here 48544A.195
244 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 310 here 48544A.196
245 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 311 here 48544A.197
246 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 312 here 48544A.198
247 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 313 here 48544A.199
248 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 314 here 48544A.200
249 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 315 here 48544A.201
250 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 316 here 48544A.202
251 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 317 here 48544A.203
252 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 318 here 48544A.204
253 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 319 here 48544A.205
254 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 320 here 48544A.206
255 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 321 here 48544A.207
256 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 322 here 48544A.208
257 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 323 here 48544A.209
258 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 324 here 48544A.210
259 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 325 here 48544A.211
260 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 326 here 48544A.212
261 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 327 here 48544A.213
262 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 328 here 48544A.214
263 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 329 here 48544A.215
264 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 330 here 48544A.216
265 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 331 here 48544A.217
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 332 here 48544A.218
267 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 333 here 48544A.219
268 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 334 here 48544A.220
269 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 335 here 48544A.221
270 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 336 here 48544A.222
271 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 337 here 48544A.223
272 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 338 here 48544A.224
273 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 339 here 48544A.225
274 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 340 here 48544A.226
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 341 here 48544A.227
276 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 342 here 48544A.228
277 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 343 here 48544A.229
278 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 344 here 48544A.230
279 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 345 here 48544A.231
280 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 346 here 48544A.232
281 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 347 here 48544A.233
282 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 348 here 48544A.234
283 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 349 here 48544A.235
284 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 350 here 48544A.236
285 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 351 here 48544A.237
286 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 352 here 48544A.238
287 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 353 here 48544A.239
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 354 here 48544A.240
289 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 355 here 48544A.241
290 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 356 here 48544A.242
291 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 357 here 48544A.243
292 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 358 here 48544A.244
293 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 359 here 48544A.245
294 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 360 here 48544A.246
295 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 361 here 48544A.247
296 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 362 here 48544A.248
297 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 363 here 48544A.249
298 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 364 here 48544A.250
299 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 365 here 48544A.251
300 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 366 here 48544A.252
301 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 367 here 48544A.253
302 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 368 here 48544A.254
303 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 369 here 48544A.255
304 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 370 here 48544A.256
305 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 371 here 48544A.257
306 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 372 here 48544A.258
307 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 373 here 48544A.259
308 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 374 here 48544A.260
309 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 375 here 48544A.261
310 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 376 here 48544A.262
311 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 377 here 48544A.263
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 378 here 48544A.264
313 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 379 here 48544A.265
314 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 380 here 48544A.266
315 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 381 here 48544A.267
316 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 382 here 48544A.268
317 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 383 here 48544A.269
318 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 384 here 48544A.270
319 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 385 here 48544A.271
320 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 386 here 48544A.272
321 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 387 here 48544A.273
322 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 388 here 48544A.274
323 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 389 here 48544A.275
324 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 390 here 48544A.276
325 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 391 here 48544A.277
326 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 392 here 48544A.278
327 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 393 here 48544A.279
328 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 394 here 48544A.280
329 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 395 here 48544A.281
330 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 396 here 48544A.282
331 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 397 here 48544A.283
332 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 398 here 48544A.284
333 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 399 here 48544A.285
334 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 400 here 48544A.286
335 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 401 here 48544A.287
336 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 402 here 48544A.288
337 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 403 here 48544A.289
338 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 404 here 48544A.290
339 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 405 here 48544A.291
340 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 406 here 48544A.292
341 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 407 here 48544A.293
342 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 408 here 48544A.294
343 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 409 here 48544A.295
344 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 410 here 48544A.296
345 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 411 here 48544A.297
346 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 412 here 48544A.298
347 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 413 here 48544A.299
348 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 414 here 48544A.300
349 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 415 here 48544A.301
350 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 416 here 48544A.302
351 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 417 here 48544A.303
352 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 418 here 48544A.304
353 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 419 here 48544A.305
354 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 420 here 48544A.306
355 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 421 here 48544A.307
356 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 422 here 48544A.308
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 423 here 48544A.309
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 424 here 48544A.310
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 425 here 48544A.311
360 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 426 here 48544A.312
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 427 here 48544A.313
362 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 428 here 48544A.314
363 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 429 here 48544A.315
364 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 430 here 48544A.316
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 431 here 48544A.317
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 432 here 48544A.318
367 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 433 here 48544A.319
368 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 434 here 48544A.320
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 435 here 48544A.321
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 436 here 48544A.322
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 437 here 48544A.323
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 438 here 48544A.324
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 439 here 48544A.325
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 440 here 48544A.326
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 441 here 48544A.327
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 442 here 48544A.328
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 443 here 48544A.329
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 444 here 48544A.330
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 445 here 48544A.331
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 446 here 48544A.332
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 447 here 48544A.333
382 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 448 here 48544A.334
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 449 here 48544A.335
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 450 here 48544A.336
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 451 here 48544A.337
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 452 here 48544A.338
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 453 here 48544A.339
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 454 here 48544A.340
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 455 here 48544A.341
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 456 here 48544A.342
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 457 here 48544A.343
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 458 here 48544A.344
393 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 459 here 48544A.345
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 460 here 48544A.346
395 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 461 here 48544A.347
396 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 462 here 48544A.348
397 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 463 here 48544A.349
398 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 464 here 48544A.350
399 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 465 here 48544A.351
400 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 466 here 48544A.352
401 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 467 here 48544A.353
402 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 468 here 48544A.354
403 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 469 here 48544A.355
404 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 470 here 48544A.356
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 471 here 48544A.357
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 472 here 48544A.358
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 473 here 48544A.359
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 474 here 48544A.360
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 475 here 48544A.361
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 476 here 48544A.362
411 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 477 here 48544A.363
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 478 here 48544A.364
413 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 479 here 48544A.365
414 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 480 here 48544A.366
415 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 481 here 48544A.367
416 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 482 here 48544A.368
417 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 483 here 48544A.369
418 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 484 here 48544A.370
419 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 485 here 48544A.371
420 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 486 here 48544A.372
421 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 487 here 48544A.373
422 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 488 here 48544A.374
423 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 489 here 48544A.375
424 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 490 here 48544A.376
425 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 491 here 48544A.377
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wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 492 here 48544A.378
427 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 493 here 48544A.379
428 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 494 here 48544A.380
429 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 495 here 48544A.381
430 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 496 here 48544A.382
431 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 497 here 48544A.383
432 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 498 here 48544A.384
433 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 499 here 48544A.385
434 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 500 here 48544A.386
435 


wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HEARINGInsert graphic folio 501 here 48544A.387
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(i) 

I N D E X 

Page 

Research, Education, and Economics 

1890 Institutions.................................................................................... 73, 462–465, 526 

Aflatoxin Research ................................................................................................... 108 

Agency Audits, CSREES ......................................................................................... 473 

Agricultural Education ............................................................................................ 460 

Agricultural Estimates ............................................................................................ 52 

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) ........................................... 15, 123, 412, 426, 433 

Agricultural Sewage Sludge Application, Monitoring ........................................... 453 

Agricultural Water Use ........................................................................................... 102 

Aid and Other Funding and Transfers .................................................................. 109 

Air Quality Research ............................................................................................... 111 

Aircraft, ARS-Owned ............................................................................................... 123 

Allocation of EFNEP Funds .................................................................................... 427 

Alternative Crops ..................................................................................................... 492 

Animal Genome Mapping ....................................................................................... 493 

Animal Health Consortium ..................................................................................... 115 

Animal Health Research ..................................................................... 115, 495, 497, 499 

Applied Genomics to Enhance Livestock Production ............................................ 26 

Aquaculture .................................................................................................. 118, 439, 515 

ARS Budget Request ............................................................................................... 123 

ARS Facilities .......................................................................................................... 433 

ARS Weslaco, TX Proposed Closure ....................................................................... 426 

ARS/CSREES Funding ............................................................................................ 412 

ARS-Owned Aircraft ................................................................................................ 123 

Asian Longhorned Beetle ........................................................................................ 125 

Avian Influenza ........................................................................................................ 128 

Base Allocations ....................................................................................................... 131 

Bee Pollination ......................................................................................................... 100 

Biodegradable Plastic .............................................................................................. 148 

Bioenergy and Biobased Products .................................................... 12, 22, 66, 413, 435 

Biofuels and Agriculture ......................................................................................... 75 

Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation (BRDC) ......................... 145 

Biotechnology Risk Assessment .......................................................................... 521, 522 

Bioterrorism ............................................................................................................. 146 

Broadband............................................................................................................... 78, 410

BSE Research ........................................................................................................... 149 

Budget Request, ARS .............................................................................................. 123 

Buildings and Facilities .......................................................................................... 391 

Canola Research ...................................................................................................... 151 

Capacity Building Program ..................................................................................... 524 

Census of Agriculture .............................................................................................. 53 

Center for Innovative Food Technology ................................................................. 441 

Centers for Animal Health ...................................................................................... 392 


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Page

ii 

Centers for Excellence ............................................................................................. 153 

Citrus Canker .......................................................................................................... 157 

Citrus Root Weevil ................................................................................................... 159 

Citrus Tristeza Virus ............................................................................................... 160 

Classical Plant and Animal Breeding .................................................................... 418 

Classical Swine Fever (Hog Cholera) ..................................................................... 161 

Cloned Animals, Study of Commercialization of Products from .......................... 410 

Colony Collapse Disorder of Honey Bees ..................................................... 27, 100, 162 

Commodity Supplemental Food Program .............................................................. 61 

Continuing Resolution, Impact of ........................................................................... 79 

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service 

(CSREES).................................................................................................... 17, 412, 462 

Critical Agricultural Materials ............................................................................... 527 

Crop Genetic Improvement ..................................................................................... 27 

Crop Health .............................................................................................................. 25 

CWD and TSEs ........................................................................................................ 163 

Dietary Intervention, OH ........................................................................................ 442 

Disseminating Research Information ..................................................................... 103 

E. Coli and Salmonella ............................................................................................ 70 

Economic Research Service ..................................................................................... 19 

Emerging Diseases and Exotic Pests ..................................................................... 165 

Emerging Zoonotic and Foreign Animal Diseases............................................... 24, 414 

Equipment for the National Disease Center ......................................................... 72 

Ergot Disease ........................................................................................................... 169 

Ethanol.................................................................................................................... 78, 407 

Extension Activities ................................................................................................. 430 

eXtension Initiative—ATTRA Involvement ........................................................... 426 

Extramural Activities .............................................................................................. 291 

Facility Closures ...................................................................................................... 86 

Facility Replacement, Backlog of ........................................................................... 350 

Federal Funding for the Underserved ................................................................... 461 

Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative ............................................................... 529 

Food and Nutrition Education Program ................................................................ 92 

Food Defense Research ............................................................................................ 148 

Food Prices ............................................................................................................... 63 

Food Safety Increase ............................................................................................... 61 

Food Safety Research ...................................................................................... 69, 94, 169 

Food Safety....................................................................................................... 14, 22, 406 

Food Stamp Program ............................................................................................... 101 

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) ............................................................................. 171 

Forest Service................................................................................................... 84, 85, 411 

Formosan Subterranean Termite ........................................................................... 172 

Foundry Sand Byproducts Utilization ................................................................... 445 

Fruit and Nut Research .......................................................................................... 173 

Funding, ARS/CSREES ........................................................................................... 412 

Fungal Phytase ........................................................................................................ 184 

GAO and OIG Reports ............................................................................................. 185 

Germplasm—Plant and Animal ............................................................................. 187 

Global Change .......................................................................................................... 191 

Grains and Livestock ............................................................................................... 195 

Grape Phylloxera ..................................................................................................... 195 

Grape Virology Research ......................................................................................... 195 

Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket ......................................................................... 196 

Greenhouse and Hydroponics Research ................................................................. 447 

Greenhouse Nurseries ............................................................................................. 448 


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Hatch Act........................................................................................................ 63, 532–559 

Higher Education Challenge Grants ...................................................................... 560 

Higher Education Organic Research ...................................................................... 424 

Hispanic Education Partnership Grants Program ................................................ 562 

Homeland Security .................................................................................................. 110 

Honey Bee ................................................................................................................ 198 

Hops Research .......................................................................................................... 202 

Human Nutrition Research................................................................................... 70, 204 

Hydroponic Tomato Production, OH ...................................................................... 449 

Income Enhancement Demonstration .................................................................... 451 

Information System, Research, Education, and Economics ................................. 646 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) ...................................................................... 206 

Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Activities .................................. 572 

Invasive Species ....................................................................................................... 211 

IR–4 and Pesticide Clearances ............................................................................... 573 

IR–4 Research .......................................................................................................... 210 

Jointed Goat Grass Control Research .................................................................... 211 

Laboratory Closures ................................................................................................ 68 

Laboratory Security ................................................................................................. 213 

Land Prices and the Rural Economy ..................................................................... 408 

Lapsed Salaries ........................................................................................................ 214 

Late Blight Potato Research ................................................................................... 214 

Leafy Greens Research, Stakeholder Input ........................................................... 98 

Library Changes and Usage ................................................................................... 234 

Locoweed Research .................................................................................................. 215 

Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture ........................................................................ 216 

Lyme Disease Research ........................................................................................... 223 

Management Costs .................................................................................................. 225 

Marek’s Disease ....................................................................................................... 225 

McIntire-Stennis Forestry Grants....................................................................... 575–606 

Methyl Bromide Research ....................................................................................... 227 

Motor Vehicles ......................................................................................................... 230 

NAFTA .................................................................................................................... 75, 406 

NAL Building and Repair Maintenance ................................................................ 394 

Narcotics Control Research ..................................................................................... 231 

National Agricultural Library....................................................................... 28, 232, 422 

National Agricultural Statistics Service ................................................................ 20 

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) ...................... 242 

National Arboretum..................................................................................... 243, 395, 425 

National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowships ..................................... 620 

National Program Leader ....................................................................................... 423 

National Research Initiative (NRI)..................................................................... 608–623 

Native American Institutions Endowment Fund............................................... 624–638 

New Crops ................................................................................................................ 243 

New Research Facilities .......................................................................................... 395 

Non-Federal Funding Sources ................................................................................ 109 

Noxious Weeds ......................................................................................................... 246 

Nutrition Programs ................................................................................................. 66 

Nutrition Research .................................................................................................. 103 

Obesity Prevention Research .................................................................................. 91 

Obesity........................................................................................................ 13, 23, 93, 416 

Object Class Table ................................................................................................... 252 

Office of Pest Management ..................................................................................... 252 

Ogallala Aquifer ....................................................................................................... 253 

Opening Statement, Dr. Buchanan ........................................................................ 2 


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Organic Livestock .................................................................................................... 421 

Organic Research ......................................................................................... 105, 422, 427 

Patents and Royalties .............................................................................................. 254 

Peanut Research ...................................................................................................... 262 

Peas, Lentils, and Legumes .................................................................................... 264 

Pecan Research ........................................................................................................ 269 

Peer Panels ............................................................................................................... 639 

Pesticide Impact Assessment .................................................................................. 640 

Phylloxera ................................................................................................................. 195

Phytoestrogen ....................................................................................................... 276, 455 

Phytoremediation Plant Research .......................................................................... 454 

Pierce’s Disease ........................................................................................................ 277 

Plant and Animal Diseases and Pests, Homeland Security ................................. 110 

Plant Genome Mapping ........................................................................................... 642 

Plum Island Animal Disease Center ...................................................................... 83 

Potato Research ....................................................................................................... 278 

Poultry Facilities ..................................................................................................... 396 

Questions Submitted by Chairwoman DeLauro ................................................ 108, 462 

Questions Submitted by Congressman Farr ......................................................... 418 

Questions Submitted by Congressman Jackson .................................................... 458 

Questions Submitted by Congressman Kingston .................................................. 406 

Questions Submitted by Congresswoman Kaptur ................................................ 430 

Reduction in Facility Appropriations ..................................................................... 82 

Regional Rural Development Centers .................................................................... 645 

Repair and Maintenance ......................................................................................... 397 

Research and Extension Grant Assessments ........................................................ 438 

Research Budget ...................................................................................................... 106 

Research Project Termination............................................................................. 281, 286 

Research Projects in the Budget Presentation ...................................................... 281 

Rural Development .................................................................................................. 90 

Salinas Valley Research .......................................................................................... 80, 99 

Scientific Staffing ..................................................................................................... 301 

Section 406 Integrated Activities ........................................................................... 423 

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program ......................................... 648 

Soil and Water Research ......................................................................................... 303 

Southeast Poultry Laboratory............................................................................... 68, 103 

Soybean Research .................................................................................................... 325 

Soybean Rust ........................................................................................................... 332 

Specialty Crop Research Initiative ..................................................................... 414, 418 

Staffing Reductions .................................................................................................. 77 

STEEP Research/Water Quality in the Pacific Northwest ................................... 333 

Sudden Oak Disease ................................................................................................ 337 

Sustainable Agriculture Program, USDA .............................................................. 656 

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program ................... 650 

Sweet Potato Whitefly ............................................................................................. 337 

Swine Research ........................................................................................................ 340 

Technology Transfer ................................................................................................ 340 

Tobacco Research ..................................................................................................... 89 

Tomato, Hydroponic Production, OH ..................................................................... 449 

Urban Agriculture ................................................................................................... 458 

Utilization Centers .................................................................................................. 346 

Veterinarian Shortage ............................................................................................. 86 

Veterinary Medical Services Act (VMSA) .................................................... 71, 416, 657 

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) ................................................ 346, 431, 470, 658 

Water......................................................................................................................... 14, 28 


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Watkinsville Research Laboratory.......................................................................... 67, 74 

Weslaco, TX Proposed Closure, ARS ...................................................................... 426 

West Nile Virus ........................................................................................................ 346 

Wheat Disease .......................................................................................................... 347 

Written Statement, Dr. Colien Hefferan, Administrator, CSREES .................... 31 

Written Statement, Dr. Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, ARS ..................... 21 

Written Statement, Dr. Gale A. Buchanan, Under Secretary, REE ................... 6 

Written Statement, Dr. Katherine Smith, Administrator, ERS .......................... 40 

Written Statement, Joseph T. Reilly, Acting Administrator, NASS ................... 51 

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