I remember my first drive to Raleigh, 6 years ago when I took this job. It was after dark at the end of a long day. We were in sporadic phone and voicemail conversation with my friend, Ron, who was trying to direct me to the best way into town (I didn’t have a GPS). Our conversation, over the course of an hour or so, went something like this:
Ron, I’m on Rt. 85, just crossed the Carolina line. Where do I turn?
Head south on Rt. 1 at Henderson
Oops, we passed that 10 minutes ago.
(later) No worries. Take Rt. 15 at Oxford.
Dang, I can see that exit…in the rear view mirror. Now what?
(no signal).
Well, finally we reached the intersection with Rt. 40, miles west of Durham, and backtracked east along 40 to our destination in Apex.
What’s the point, you ask? Just this: sometimes you don’t take the most direct route, but you still get where you’re going. I hope that’s the case with public funding for IPM programs that until now have been supported through the section 406 line within USDA’s NIFA budget.
Last night the Senate Appropriations Committee approved this year’s mark up for the FY 2012 budget. Like the House Ag Approps subcommittee, they did not restore funding for CAR, RAMP or Regional IPM Centers. So we’ve missed three turns so far (President’s budget, House Ag Approps, Senate Approps). That doesn’t mean we’re lost yet. I hope.
Filed under: Budget Tagged: | 406 Funding, budget cuts, integrated pest management, regional IPM Center internal grants
