May 5, 2000

Cargill equates the U.S. policy toward trade with the South American country to "falling off the bicycle of trade reform," in failing to negotiate a free trade agreement with Chile. "The teetering bike syndrome occurs when you don’t move forward fast enough to keep the bike upright; when you stop, you tip over," Cargill opined in the latest Cargill Bulletin.

"While some U.S. political leaders are braking the bike to a teetering halt, Chile has raced ahead. It lost no time crying over not being invited to join the North American Free Trade Agreement and instead has negotiated trade agreements with Canada and Mexico—the United States’ NAFTA partners—and many more," wrote Dan Pearson in the Cargill commentary. "More recently, Chile has been talking trade deals with South Korea and also with New Zealand and Singapore.

"Not only is the United States missing out on those benefits by not taking steps to expand trade with Chile, it faces a disadvantage in the Chilean market: a 9 percent tariff that applies to imports from countries that have nor formal trade pact with Chile. Without an agreement to knock down those barriers, the United States sends fewer exports to Chile—which translates into fewer jobs and opportunities for U.S. farmers, workers and their families," the Cargill piece said.

"Now Chile is giving the United States another chance to get back on the bike. It’s time to peddle ahead."

"For rural communities around the country, local television is about more than entertainment," said House Ag Committee Chairman Larry Com-best. "In addition to network programming and sports, they are often dependent on local news for emergency information regarding weather and natural disasters. For farmers and ranchers, this information is even more vital to their livelihoods. This legislation will help ensure that these communities have equal access to local television."

The Rural Local Broadcast Signal Act (H.R. 3615) allows the Agriculture Department to secure up to $1.25 billion in loans for providing local broadcast signals to rural communities. Also, providers may offer other services, such as Internet access, if they have excess capacity.

In the fall of 1999, the Barrett Tree Farm was named the outstanding tree operation in the southern zone of Texas, an honor that qualified them for participation in the state contest. As winners at the state level, the Barretts will compete at the national level for top tree farm honors.

Foresters from the New Waverly offices of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation provide hands-on management of the Barrett property. They supervise prescribed burns on the land to control undergrowth and to improve wildlife habitat; do aerial reconnaissance on a regular basis to check for insect infestation, disease and lightning damage; provide streamside management to protect the watersheds of the property; and mark and supervise the harvest of the annual timber cut.

The Barretts adhere to a conservative annual harvesting schedule, which allows the forest to regenerate itself with natural reseeding.

Located at 720 East Blackland Road, the center includes the Agricultural Research Service and the Natural Resource and Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also houses the Texas State Soil and Conservation Board.

"The Research and Extension center focuses on soil and water, but the center also brings the whole A&M System to this region of Texas," said Dr. Ed Hiler, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences. "We’re also very proud of the distance education linkages with several schools that includes community colleges, school districts and county government."

The new building is a computer-based facility, incorporating the latest technology with agricultural research. There are more than 100 full-time employees at the laboratory in Temple, with about 60 of those employed with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, 50 with the Agricultural Research Service and five with the Natural Resource and Conservation Service. Four are employed with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.

In fiscal year 1999, the Blackland Research Center had a total budget of about $3.5 million. Approximately $2.3 million came from grants and contracts with outside agencies, and $1.2 million came from the Texas A&M University System.