The Obama Administration decided last month that it would placate the “Green” lobby by telling our nation’s farmers how to do their job.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of seven Regional Climate Hubs for Risk Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change. These Hubs match climate change knowledge with local farmers using current networks including local extension agents.
- Northeast: Northern Research Station, Forest Service, Durham, N.H.
- Southeast: Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Raleigh N.C.
- Southeast Sub-Hub in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Northern Plains: National Resources Center, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colo.
- Southern Plains: Grazinglands Research Lab, Agricultural Research Service, El Reno, Okla.
- Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Service, Corvallis, Ore.
- Southwest: Rangeland Management Unit/Jornada Experimental Range, Agricultural Research Service, Las Cruces, N.M.
- Southwest Sub-hub in Davis, Calif.
- Midwest: National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa
- Midwest Sub-Hub in Houghton, Mich.
Because of the use of existing facilities and staff, the administration claims that the Climate Hubs will not require additional allocation of funds to the USDA. This means that the President did not have to go to Congress for approval of the Hubs, because he is not asking for funding. There will ultimately be a cost however, the facilities and staff re-allocated to this purpose will be taken away from their original purpose which means that the funding allocated for that original purpose is now funding the Climate Hubs without the approval of Congress.
Founder and National Spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance, Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, spoke on the Janet Mefferd Radio Show about this very issue. Click here to listen.
Leave a Reply