Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Projects Included in House Ag Spending Bill

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Wisconsin Projects Included in House Ag Spending Bill
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 08/06/2007

Just like the Senate's version, the House of Representatives approved their Agriculture Appropriations bill last week, which includes a smorgus board of projects and special funding for Wisconsin. On Friday, Wausau Congressman Dave Obey announced that the measure invests in a number of programs that are vital to combating the spread of animal and plant diseases throughout the state.

Specifically, the package allocates $1.98 million to assist with development of Wisconsin's nationally-recognized animal ID program to provide for a 48-hour traceback capability to identify the source of an animal product disease outbreak such as Mad Cow and foot and mouth. Wisconsin's premises registration program has been declared the model for the nation by USDA with nearly 60,000 premises registered.

Another $16.7 million would go for combating Chronic Wasting Disease among wild and captive deer. And $5.6 million was set aside for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to track and contain the outbreak of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, a devastating disease that has been found in a wide variety of fish throughout the Great Lakes.

Other Wisconsin priorities that the House approved funding for include:

** $2.475 million to help establish a program at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point to train students in the use of Geographic Information Systems and spatial analysis techniques.

** $1.039 million for the management and monitoring of the grey wolf population in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan to determine the impact upon wolves and livestock of the recent decision to delist the grey wolf from the endangered species act.

** $948,000 for the Wisconsin Grazing Lands Initiative.

** $495,000 to support an extension education and outreach program at the Red Cliff Cold Climate fish hatchery.

** $396,000 that Obey requested for the Potato Pest Management program, a collaboration of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers, the UW-Madison and the World Wildlife Fund to develop integrated pest management approaches that will reduce dependency on pesticide use in the production of potatoes and vegetables.

** $248,000 for a technology transfer program at the University of Wisconsin - Stout.

The bill also includes important new initiatives in the areas of nutrition, food safety, and renewable fuels and maintains needed investments in research and conservation, Obey added.

However, the Agriculture Appropriations measure must still be approved by the Senate and signed by the President before it becomes law.

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