The six members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation who fought for the projects announced today are as follows: Senators Blanche Lincoln (D) and Mark Pryor (D), Representatives Marion Berry (D-1st), Vic Snyder (D-2nd), John Boozman (R-3rd), and Mike Ross (D-4th).

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report includes the following earmarks for Arkansas projects:

An increase of $150,000 over FY 2005 funding for Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock for expanded research on children’s nutrition and health from conception through adolescence, as well as continued funding for Sorghum Research and the Diet and Immune Function at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (Total funding level estimated at $5.689 million).

An increase of $130,000 over FY 2005 funding for Agroforestry Research at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Booneville, to expand cooperative research with the University of Missouri Agroforestry Center on plants. $50,000 of this increase will be used for expanded shiitake mushroom research in Shirley, Arkansas (Total funding level estimated at $5.098 million).

An increase of $125,000 over FY 2005 funding for Rice Research at the Dale Bumpers Rice Research Center in Stuttgart. (Total funding level estimated at $3.531 million).

An increase of $100,000 over FY 2005 funding for the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Initiative for planning and research to assess health and nutrition in the Delta Region over the next five years. This consortium consists of the Agricultural Research Service and six universities located in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. (Total funding level estimated at $4.144 million). 

$3.5 million for the Delta Regional Authority. The Authority provides long-term coordination among federal, state, and local entities committed to economic development in the Lower Mississippi Delta region. $2 million of the funds are contained in the Rural Community Advancement Program for grants, and the remaining $1.5 million is contained in the Rural Development Loan Fund Program to provide loans. 

$4 million for the completion of Arkansas Research Laboratory at the National Center for Toxicological Research.

$1.432 million for Animal Science Food Safety Consortium for food safety research and education in Arkansas, Illinois, and Kansas. In Arkansas, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the University of Arkansas for Medical Science and Arkansas Children’s Hospital will participate.

$461,000 for the Center for Integrated Forest Management Strategies at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for forestry research and education activities.

$1.119 million for Institute for Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for food science and nutrition research and education.

$180,000 for Beef Producers Improvement at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for research and education on management techniques for the cattle industry.

$1.802 million for Geographic Information Systems. Arkansas is one of eight states that participates in this project.

$2.5 million to the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), located at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. ATTRA is headquartered in Montana. Its national mission is to collect and provide cutting-edge research and production information and technical assistance to commercial producers, county extension agents, and others involved in information dissemination on organic and sustainable agriculture practices that are environmentally friendly and offer lower production costs.

$225,000 for the Ozark nutrient management project.

$125,000 for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Small Farm Outreach Wetland Management Center. 

$210,000 for the completion of the next phase of the Little Red River Irrigation Project in White County. 

$205,000 for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for aquaculture research and education activities.

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report includes the following earmarks for Arkansas projects with funding to continue at FY 2005 levels: 

The National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information at the Leflar School of Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Total funding level estimated at $502,000). 

Small Farms, South Central Family Farm Research Center in Booneville for Endophyte research (Total funding level estimated at $1.054 million).

Harry Dupree National Aquaculture Research Center in Stuttgart for research on the genetic improvement of hybrid striped bass. Arkansas leads the nation in raising hybrid striped bass, as well as in producing 80 percent of the nation’s baitfish and other food fish (Total funding level estimated at $4.433 million).

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Aquaculture Systems Research Unit, for aquaculture research and education activities (Total funding level estimated at $943,929 overall). 

Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit at the University of Arkansas (Total funding level estimated at $1,225,000).

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report also includes the following projects: 

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Southeast Washington County Water Project for municipal water and waste disposal.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Agriculture Demonstration and Outreach Center in Arkansas.
 

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for Mill Creek, Arkansas.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Ozone Water Project, Arkansas.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for downtown improvements in Bald Knob, Arkansas.