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HIGHLIGHTS
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Northeast-Midwest Farmers Benefit from
Conservation Bill
·
Ecosystem Restoration
·
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
· LIHEAP
·
Appropriations
Northeast-Midwest Farmers Benefit from
Conservation Bill
The House of Representatives last week passed a Senate-approved
bill (S. 2856) that will make available $300 million for farm programs
designed to assist farmers control runoff, protect farmland, and restore
valuable habitat. Those programs are in particularly high demand by farmers
in the Northeast-Midwest region.
The 2002 Farm Bill provided
historic increases to the conservation title, boosting funding for existing
programs and creating important new conservation programs. However,
over the last three years – despite objections from the House and Senate
Agriculture Committees – USDA has diverted millions from the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Farmland and Ranchland
Protection Program (FRPP), Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), and Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) in order to cover the costs of
administering two other programs. The recently-approved legislation
reversed the USDA policy and will make more funding available for farm
conservation efforts. Contact: Dan
Wrinn at the Northeast-Midwest Institute (202/464-4004).
Ecosystem Restoration
Joy Mulinex last
week delivered remarks at the First National Conference on Ecosystem
Restoration. Her presentation, entitled “Ecosystem Restoration
Initiatives and the Federal Policy Process, can be accessed by clicking here.
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
The Senate Manufacturing Task Force last week asked the
White House’s Office of Management and Budget to support a funding
level of $109 million in the president’s fiscal 2006 budget request
for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. Congress
provided $109 million for the program in fiscal 2005. Each year, MEP
centers help thousands of small manufacturers solve problems, increase
productivity, and create or retain high-skilled American jobs. Click
here for a copy of the letter. Contact: Kris Sarri with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606).
LIHEAP
Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI),
co-chairs of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition, are seeking signatures
on a letter asking the president to release $300 million in emergency
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding provided in the
fiscal 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Americans are facing record
high prices for oil, natural gas and propane this winter. These
increases come on top of soaring energy prices over the past several
years. Rising energy prices disproportionately burden low-income
Americans who are also struggling to pay for higher food, housing and
health care costs. The signature deadline is December 20.
Contact is Kris Sarri at
the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606).
Appropriations
Click here
for to review charts of fiscal 2005 funding for key regional programs.
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