SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE NEARLY $6 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR MAINE IN AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS BILL

WASHINGTON, DC – The Agriculture Appropriations bill as approved by the Senate Appropriations committee includes Senators Snowe and Collins’ requests for agricultural projects that will benefit Maine totaling nearly $6 million.               “Each of these projects is important to sustaining and enhancing Maine’s agriculture industry, which is a vital component of the state’s economy,” the Senators said in a joint statement.  “We are particularly pleased that the bill enhances Aroostook County’s access to federal economic enhancement grants.”     ·        $185.817 million for the Hatch Act and $23.318 million for the McIntire-Stennis Act. These formula funds make available vital dollars for research in agriculture, forest resources, fisheries and aquaculture, and rural economic development throughout the country. More than 100 scientists in Maine, from a wide range of agriculture industries, benefit from a portion of these research funds.    ·        $50.787 million for Resource Conservation and Development districts throughout the country.  This will set funding at the Fiscal Year 2006 levels.  Maine has five (5) Resource Conservation and Development districts.   ·        $1 million for the ARS National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center in Franklin. Funds will be used for operations of the Aquaculture Center and for aquaculture research programs.  An additional $1 million was included for construction of research facilities on the Orono campus of the University of Maine.  Senators Snowe and Collins explained that as the harvesting of wild fish stocks is restricted, the support of our Nation’s aquaculture industry is becoming increasingly important.   ·        $2.28 million for the USDA-ARS New England Plant, Soil, and Water Laboratory in Orono.  These funds would support research related to cropping systems, efficient use of nutrients and water, and control of pathogens, insects and weeds—all of which would be of particular benefit to Maine’s potato industry.   ·        $637,000 for the Wood Utilization Research Program at the University of Maine.  Senators Snowe and Collins successfully secured a total of $6.4 million, approximately $637,000 of which would be directed to the University of Maine.  The goal of the project is to generate new technologies that are necessary to balance the sustainable use of our Nation’s forest resources with the need to maintain a competitive, domestic forest products industry.   ·        $500,000 for the Aroostook County Round III Empowerment Zone. These funds will allow Aroostook County to implement economic growth plans.   ·        $244,000 for Wild Blueberry research.  Grant dollars would be available for research into how Maine’s blueberry farmers in the economically depressed Downeast region of Maine can maximize their crops, produce higher quality crops and minimize reliance on pesticides.    ·        $177,000 for Potato Variety Development Research for Maine. These funds are supported by the National Potato Council and the Maine Potato Board and would be used for critical research into new potato varieties that combine excellent quality with high yields and pest resistance.          The bill also recommends that the USDA consider grant requests for the Penobscot Bay Commercial Kitchen, the York County Food Business Incubator, and the Upper Valley Oil Extrusion Processor.         Senators Snowe and Collins were also successful in including language in the bill report to help the Aroostook County Empowerment Zone obtain competitive grant funding from the United Stated Department of Agriculture.   The bill will now be sent to the full Senate for its consideration.