To Members of the NASULGC System:

The President's Budget Request for the fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2005 (F.Y. 2006) was released earlier today. The BRT has obtained a number of USDA and CSREES budget documents and posted them on the www.nasulgc-bac.com Web site. Links to those documents are also set forth below:

CSREES Budget Documents
CSREES Overview (.htm)
CSREES Spreadsheet (.xls)
USDA Budget Overview (.pdf)
USDA Appendix (.pdf)
Agriculture Programs Overview (.pdf)

Quick Overview
The agency's own documentation provides a quick and appropriate overview:

"The F.Y. 2006 budget request supports the administration’s commitment to competitive programs and to the streamlining of program delivery. In a time of limited resources this is accomplished by: (a) increasing funding for the National Research Initiative (NRI), (b) adding the new State Agricultural Experiment Stations Competitive Grants Program, (c) reducing funding for the Hatch Act and McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry programs, (d) eliminating the Animal Health and Disease, Section 1433 Research Program, and (e) transferring programs authorized by Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to the NRI and new State Agricultural Experiment Stations Competitive Grants Programs.

"The budget proposes funding of $250,000,000 for the NRI to support: (a) increases in genomics, food, nutrition and obesity, (b) water quality, food safety, and pest related programs formerly funded under Integrated Activities; and (c) ongoing research activities under the program. This is an increase of $70,448,000 over the F.Y. 2005 Appropriations Act.

"The F.Y. 2006 Budget includes funding of $75,000,000 for the new State Agricultural Experiment Stations Competitive Grants Program. This program supports system-wide research planning and coordination and regional, state, and local applied research in areas such as new product/new uses, social sciences, and the environment including ecosystem management. It is proposed that the program also will support research focused on methyl bromide and organic transition formerly funded under Integrated Activities, as well as some of the activities formerly supported by the Hatch Act, McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry, and Animal Health and Disease Programs.

"Increases are proposed for the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (formerly Homeland Security Program) and the new Higher Education Agrosecurity Program to expand current efforts that address agricultural security issues. The budget proposal includes $3,000,000 for the New Technologies for Ag Extension Program to support systems that will make available research-based education offered by the E-Extension network. Increases are also proposed for the Evans-Allen Program, Graduate Fellowship Program, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, 1890 Institutions Extension Program, and the Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers grants program under Section 2501. The F.Y. 2006 Budget includes funding to continue current program activities for most of the other CSREES programs and in some cases restores programs to the F.Y. 2005 President’s Budget level.

"Earmarked Special Research Grants, Extension and Research Federal Administration projects and grants, and several specific, targeted programs are not proposed for funding in F.Y. 2006."

The BRT will provide additional analysis in the next day or two.

Fred Hutchison, Fleishman Hillard Government Relations