The public university system in our nation is a rich and diverse network that has been a key force in driving our economy forward and ensuring the workforce, as well as the general population, is provided with the best information available. Much of this system would not be possible if it were not for the intricately woven ties between the federal government, state governments, and America's land-grant universities. The universities have made certain that affordable, higher education would be available to all that have sought it since the inception of the land-grant system with the Morrill Act in 1862. The resulting universities and colleges proceeded to create a national network of research stations with the passage of the Hatch Act in 1887 thus greatly improving the dissemination of vital scientific information across the nation to this day.

West Virginia has been blessed to have two fine institutions as a result of federal land-grants that have consistently provided us with knowledgeable students and innovative programs. West Virginia University and West Virginia State University have contributed to the progression of our state for well over a century now by fostering research and teaching environments. Not only does a land grant university educate its enrolled students, it also reaches out into the communities through its extension offices to the benefit of its citizens. The extension offices of our two land grant universities are continually divulging solutions to the social, environmental, economic, and technical problems that we face.

In the President's 2006 budget, the funding for the Hatch and McIntire-Stennis research programs that deal with agriculture and forestry, respectively, have been cut by 50 percent and would be "zeroed out" in 2007. The agriculture business in West Virginia was worth $482.8 million in 2002 according to the U.S. census. The mentioning of cutting aid to these programs, which support both teaching and research in agriculture and forestry fields, is concerning. I, and many of my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, believe that these actions are shortsighted to divert this funding to new programs that are untested and based on short-term goals rather than to leave the funding as is, and allow the research to continue with a more encompassed goal of providing long-term assistance to regions.

The land-grant universities have left a remarkable impression upon our communities through their outreach to educate and serve residents. For example, West Virginia State University began a new initiative in 2003, the Rural Business Services (RBS), under the auspices of its Division of Agricultural and Consumer Outreach programs which is currently operating in several counties of southern WV. The mission of the RBS is to provide new and existing businesses with the university's expertise in technical training and resource access.

The WVU Extension service, through its forestry program, is deeply involved in providing forest management materials to corporate and individually owned woodlots while also performing valuable services for our public lands within the state. WVU county extension offices are also pioneering cooking schools to help curb the high rate of diabetes in the Mountain State. Youth outreach programs such as Energy Express and 4-H are another asset brought to us by our land grant university system. In fact, each summer, the WVU Extension runs over 100 weeks of 4-H residential camps throughout the state with more than 12,000 children attending to learn important citizenship and leadership skills.

Because of the proven track record of over 140 years, I will continue to advocate for these vital agricultural and forestry research programs and our invaluable land-grant university system in the halls of Congress. I urge my Congressional colleagues to help me maintain these programs as well. We need these research programs to ensure that the diverse agricultural and forestry industries in our state continue to prosper and forge ahead into the new century.