NERA
Northeastern Regional Association
USDA-ARS-BARC and NAL, Beltsville, MD
Minutes
Jeff Seemann, Chair
In attendance:
Seemann, Jeffrey (RI), Chair
J. Scott Angle (MD)
Margaret Brennan (NJ)
Tom Burr (NYG)
Thomas Fretz (NERA)
Steve Goodwin (MA)
Ian Hart (CTS)
Charlene Herrick (ME)
Fred Hutchison (BRT)
Jody Jellison (ME)
Phyllis Johnson (ARS-BARC)
Ron Korcak (ARS-BARC)
Bruce McPheron (PA)
Robin Morgan (DE)
Anna Palmisano (CSREES)
Max Pfeffer (NYC)
Maria Pisa (NAL)
Steve Reiling (ME)
Richard Rhodes III (RI)
Kirby Stafford III (CTNH)
Judy Sun (NERA)
William Trumble (NH)
Michael Vayda (VT)
William Vinson (WV)
Betty Walters (MD)
G. Bruce Wiersma (ME)
Peter Young (NAL)
Rubie Mize (NERA), Recorder
March 2, 2005
The strawman prepared by W. Trumble has been revised to reflect the above modification.
Strawman for OED Evaluation.pdf
T. Fretz explained the difficulty in interpreting the FRS statements from the University of Maryland. However, he is confident that the figures in the budget reflect NERA's current fiscal status. Judy's salary is being covered from the NIMSS assessment and from a project with the MD-AES to assist them in preparing their Plan of Work. Except for the required COLA of 2%, a salary increase is not proposed for Judy because she was just given a substantial merit increase and health benefits in December 2004. A 2% merit and 2% required COLA is being proposed for the NERA administrative assistant.
Chair Seemann opened the discussion on a minimal increase on the NERA assessment each year. The last increase was in FY2002. This is something that the NERA directors may want to consider in the near future. A windfall from the savings due to Dr. MacKenzie's passing had been set aside on a separate account. That money is available for any future initiative that NERA would like to embark on. The directors were cautioned to use the funds carefully and think of investments that will enhance the capacity of the system, like NIMSS. A proposal was made to study how the stations may reorganize or adopt to change if significant cuts on the formula funds are forthcoming. Some felt it may be premature to discuss incremental increases on the NERA assessment in view of the current situation and the uncertainty surrounding the future of formula funds.
T. Fretz also gave copies of ESCOP's 2004 Activities Report.
ESCOP 2004 Activities Report.pdf
These are some of the questions that the Task Force is grappling with. Any feedback from the directors will be helpful.
The AES and ARS scientists are working together actively but there is still a lot of opportunities to increase collaboration. T. Fretz is willing to facilitate in strengthening this relationship by helping the AES match early career faculty in the NE-AES with ARS scientists. ARS is also open to sabbatical visits. Dr. Johnson sought the directors help in training systematists. She is currently working with UMD to include this in their graduate level curriculum, and would work with other institutions on this issue. One problem ARS is facing, due in part to current visa restrictions, is the shortage of scientists in specialized fields such as systematics. We should focus some of our resources in preparing scientists for the future.
T. Fretz emphasized the need to form an "ARS-CSREES–ESCOP Coordinating Committee reporting jointly to ARS, CSREES, and ESCOP, for reviewing and setting national scientific and service priorities as related to the role of germplasm in promoting the economic health and security of the agricultural system". He also noted that ARS funds 84% of the germplasm centers, and the rest from off-the-top funds contributed by the SAESs, although this estimate does not account for in-kind contributions from the AES in which the centers are located. The collection is increasing in spite of the flat funding in real dollars.
F. Y. 2006 Budget Request for Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, March 2005
http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/documents/FY2006/BAC/NASULGC_2006_Request.pdf
NASULGC Budget and Advocacy Committee: Impact of Budget Cuts, State-by-state Assessments
http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/budget_cuts.htm
F. Hutchison reassured the directors that efforts are underway to defeat the President's proposed cuts on formula funds. He urged the directors to continue their own advocacy efforts in their states. He made special mention of the efforts being done in Maine by B. Wiersma. The political and the public dimensions of our research activities should always be in the forefront. EFNEP, for example is doing a fabulous job in advertizing their impacts. He also sugegsted spending time in longer term strategies, such as sponsoring fellows in the congressional office. These people can then support our cause in the long run.
March 3, 2005
There was also consensus to continue NERA's contribution to the Friends of BARC and increase it to $1,000 annually.
The group also approved for NERA to join N-CFAR. N-CFAR had been revitalized under its new leadership and it would be beneficial for NERA to be involved in its activities. The annual membership due for an association is $500. T. Fretz will represent NERA at the N-CFAR Annual Meeting in April.
A motion was made to accept MAC's recommendations except nos. 7 and 8. The directors chose to vote on items 7 and 8 separately. The motion was seconded and passed.
On item #7, a motion was made to accept the MAC recommendation for the NRSP_temp6 proposal. However a clarification was made that the vote will be only for the proposal. The motion was seconded and passed.
A motion was made to accept MAC's recommendations for the FY06 off-the-top funding. It was seconded and passed.
FY2006 off-the-top funding.pdf
The committee also recommended the dissolution of NEREAP3-IPM and instead a liaison to the Northeast IPM Center will be appointed. The committee asked for a volunteer. W. Trumble will return with a recommendation at the summer meeting. The NH-AES is currently searching for an associate director. The successful candidate might be able to take on this assignment.
A motion was made to approve the coomittee's recommendations. This was seconded and passed.
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert C. Seem has distinguished himself as Associate Director of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station since 1990, and Interim Director for the year 2004, having joined the experiment station in 1975, and
WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Seem has contributed in many ways to the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA), serving as Chair of the Northeast Multistate Activities Committee; Chair of the Resolutions Committee; and Administrative Advisor for five Multistate Projects: NE-9, NE-183, NE-1013 and NE-1020, and NRSP-5. Two of the multistate projects he advised won the Northeast Multistate Research Award for Excellence. These projects are NE-183, “Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Apple Cultivars” and “NE-103, Postharvest Physiology of Fruits”. NE-183 consequently won the USDA Secretary’s Award on June 2001. Dr. Seem also served as the association’s liaison and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Northeast Pest Management Center. He was also a member of the Oversight Committee for the National Information Management and Support System, and
WHERAS, Dr. Robert Seem also distinguished himself and brought honor to the region and his institution in his research in the epidemiology, biology and control of fruit and vegetable diseases. The weather modeling techniques used in his research have opened up new research opportunities in plant biosecurity in the area of microbial forensics.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors meeting in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2005, expresses its sincerest appreciation to Dr. Robert Seem for his many contributions, and wishes him much success and happiness in his future professional as well as personal activities.
March 3, 2005
signed
Jeffrey Seemann, Chair
Northeastern Regional Association of State
Agricultural Experiment Station Directors
WHEREAS, the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors participated in an important and productive meeting at the USDA-ARS Beltsville Area Research Center in Beltsville, MD, and
WHEREAS, the Directors would like to take this opportunity to express their sincerest gratitude for the spacious and functional office suite provided to the Executive Director and his staff at USDA-ARS-BARC, and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Directors acknowledge their appreciation to Director Phyllis Johnson, Associate Director Ron Korcak and their staff for their generosity and hospitality.
March 3, 2005
signed
Jeffrey Seemann, Chair
Northeastern Regional Association of State
Agricultural Experiment Station Directors
The motion to approve the above resolutions was seconded and passed.
July 24-26: Joint COPS Meeting, Embassy Suites Hotel, Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri
September 25-28: 2005 SAES/ARD Workshop at St. Anthony Hotel - a historic Wyndham hotel located in San Antonio, Texas. NERA will meet for half a day on Sept. 26.
The civil rights reporting is one segment in the workshop. The draft guidelines for SAESs are now under review.
There was a lively engaged discussion on how the AESs distribute their funds to cover their various expenditures and projects. Obviously, there are differences and similarities. Smaller institutions have positioned themselves to be more competitive such that future shift towards that source of funding may not impact them as greatly. Given that formula funding is decreasing, the President's proposed budget is an opportunity to start looking seriously at our portfolios. Formula funds are important but they no longer constitute a majority component of the individual SAES portfolio. It was generally agreed that a reduction or elimination of formula funds will detrimentally affect the match from the states, resulting to some SAES looking at closure. The discussion was fruitful and should be continued in a more organized manner.
Chair Seemann adjourned the meeting at 1:00pm.
