ECOP and ESCOP’s contract with AESOP Enterprises, Ltd. identifies four primary areas of activity for AESOP.

1. The federal budget and agricultural appropriations for research and extension programs funded through the Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service;
2. Targeted federal funding opportunities for research and extension through other federal agencies, possibly including specific projects within EPA, HHS, or NSF;
3. The development of a new science agenda;
4. Other issues as defined by the Chairs of ECOP and ESCOP (Emerging issues).

The ECOP and ESCOP Chairs and their respective Executive Committees will review this draft POA. AESOP and the ESCOP and ECOP Chairs / Chair-Elects will then finalize this draft. The POA will be reviewed and modified if necessary on a quarterly basis.

Land-Grants

ECOP and ESCOP Budget Committees

• Participate in meetings and teleconferences.

• Brief the Committee on Washington events and opportunities.

• Work with the Committee Chair to prepare for BOA Budget Committee Activities.

• Participate in meetings and teleconferences.

• Work closely with the Chair and Chair-Elect of the Committee.

• Assist in the development of BOA Budget Committee documents.

• Assist Chair and Chair-Elect in presenting the BOA Budget Committee documents and process to other components of the land-grant system and support groups, including
• Participants in the NASULGC annual meeting;
• The AHS / CARET meetings
• CGA, CARET and Lay Leaders,

• Facilitate meeting and communications with outside interest groups to identify priorities and build support.
• Conduct survey of interest groups and compile results.
• Engage in a series of interactive small group meetings with Washington representatives of interest groups.
• Facilitate interest group participation in BOA Budget Committee meetings.
• Explore opportunities to speak or facilitate presentations at interest group meetings, coordinated though the AHS liaisons, CARET and other contacts.

• Facilitate meetings and discussions with the White House, OMB and USDA leadership.

• Assist in the development of congressional testimony.

• Facilitate meetings with key congressional staff and Members with BOA / ECOP / ESCOP Budget Committee leadership, as needed.

• Assist BOA Budget / Education Chair in developing special events with congressional leadership to strengthen relations with Washington leaders.

• Attend appropriate CFERR meetings and assist in reporting on the activities of the BOA, ECOP and ESCOP in regards to the agricultural appropriations process.

• Apprise CFERR of activities that AESOP is pursuing for the BOA Budget Committee, ECOP and/or ESCOP outside of the USDA appropriations account. Assist in facilitating communication with other land-grant committees and/or NASUGLC staff that are working with other agencies, when appropriate.

• Meet with CARET Executive Committee and speak at CARET meetings, as requested.

• Except in those states where the administrative head has specified that direct communication to the CARET delegates is not desired:
• Provide electronic news updates to CARET delegates.
• Work directly when needed with key CARET representatives to communicate with Congressional Members and staff.
• Facilitate targeted visits by CARET staff to key offices at critical times.

• Speak at the annual Layleaders meeting in Washington, if requested.

• Collaborate with CGA ad hoc agriculture group.

• Participate in presentations to the total CGA with the ad hoc CGA group.

• Collaborate with NASULGC staff in the production of BOA Budget Committee documents. AESOP will work with the BOA Budget Committee regarding content of the documents; NASULGC and the Budget Committee staff are responsible for production.

• Collaborate with NASULGC staff regarding the delivery of Congressional testimony and land-grant system requests to Congress.

• AESOP will work with the BOA Chair, the ECOP and ESCOP Chairs and Budget Chairs, and NASULGC in developing a list of activities and tasks involved in the development of the BOA Budget Committee requests.

• While assisting in building support for the BOA Budget Committee recommendations, AESOP will work with the offices of Land-Grant Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Deans, Directors and Administrators as appropriate to the issues and the management practices of the specific institution.

• AESOP will routinely communicate the status of the agricultural appropriations process via "News from the Hill" and will keep the system apprised of needed actions.

• If the Section 406 issue is not resolved in the FY2000 appropriations process, AESOP will look for appropriations events that might provide opportunities to address this issue before the FY20001 process, such as an appropriate supplemental bill.

• Additional resources to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers could yet emerge between now and the FY2001 appropriations process, either in a supplemental or disaster assistance bill. AESOP will continue to explore opportunities to direct needed resources to ES to assist in providing risk management education and tools to farmers and ranchers.

• AESOP will continue to work with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to identify the need for funding research analysis and extension education regarding crop insurance tools.

AESOP Note

The primary vehicles for passage of legislation in this arena bogged down over debates regarding gun control. There are efforts underway to move this legislation prior to the end of this year, but most observers are doubtful. There is beneficial language that targets support for ES programs in the Senate bill, and more generic but useable language in the House bill. It is our understanding that the House is not opposed to inclusion of the Senate language regarding ES when they go to conference, presumably next spring.

There is an issue that ECOP does need to address in this legislation. The Senate language that is beneficial to ES in the Senate bill may read as if it was crafted for the system, but it evolved out of language that was targeted primarily to one state, with the possibility of expanding to others. The ES state personnel involved would like to see system support and involvement, but understandably they do not want to loose their original focus either. The ECOP Legislative Committee will need to review whether we still support the bill as it stands in the Senate or whether expanded or different language is desired elsewhere in the bill. A discussion between the ECOP Legislative Committee and the involved state leadership might be helpful.

Possible Activities

• AESOP could work with the ECOP Legislative Committee to identify specific recommendations for language in this bill, should conference be delayed until spring of 2000.

• If there are specific recommendations, AESOP could communicate these with the appropriate Congressional offices, keeping ES Directors apprised of the status of these discussions.

AESOP Note

After Congress closes this season, AESOP suggests that the ECOP Legislative Committee, NASULGC staff and AESOP review the status of legislation in this arena and the possibilities available in the coming year. At this time, this seems to be primarily of interest to ECOP and the BOHS, rather than ESCOP. After the ECOP Legislative Committee has identified its priorities and goals for 2000, perhaps a teleconference with the BOHS Legislative Committee would be beneficial to coordinate efforts.

Possible Activities

• If the ECOP (and ESCOP?) Legislative Committee identifies desired language for inclusion in any "vehicles," AESOP could meet with appropriate Congressional offices to advance this language.

• If ECOP determines to support existing legislative vehicles, AESOP could coordinate with NASULGC staff in developing additional letters, calls or activities that indicate the systems support.

AESOP Note

This is a "mature issue" in some sense, but quite unformed in others. The private sector has moved on ahead of public sector research. The public sector "Plant Genome" component is well defined in NSF, but the animal and microbe components are not fully developed in any agency and there is no clear comprehensive genome initiative in place. Accordingly, there are a number of steps that need to be taken before a comprehensive genome initiative can be "taken to the Hill" or to the Administration

Possible Activities

• AESOP could work with the appropriate ESCOP/ECOP Committees or individuals to develop an initiative to address agricultural genomics. The initiative will need to address such issues as:
• How much funding is sought through which agencies?
• What is the appropriate balance between plant, animals and microbes – and which comes at what point in the process?
• What is the appropriate partnership between the universities, the federal labs, and the private sector?
• Who should be doing basic sequencing, as opposed to who should be doing functional genomics?
• How is IPR to be handled, in principle?
• What new partnerships can be utilized? Consortiums organized around species, for example.
• How can the major non-university players be incorporated in a joint-venture initiative, such as Danforth and Novartis.

• AESOP could be charged to work with the appropriate ECOP/ESCOP Committees to develop a draft initiative description that address these issues.

• AESOP could be charged to meet with industry leaders to explore the opportunity for a joint-venture initiative with the universities.

AESOP Note

Over the past several months, this has developed into a multi-agency initiative with bipartisan support. The President has signed an order that directs EPA, USDA, and DOE to increase efforts to address bio-based products. Senator Lugar has developed a bill and a companion bill has been introduced in the House. House Agriculture Committee staff have asked ESCOP to testify on this bill in mid-October ’99 and AESOP has been in discussions with Senate staff regarding a modification to the original bill to more clearly identify a role for ES. The legislation will probably not be passed until next spring, but the Administration is proceeding with its activities.

Possible Activities

• AESOP can continue to develop Congressional testimony that identifies the role of research and Extension in addressing bio-based products.

• AESOP could meet with leading agency officials to explore an expanded role for the universities in their emerging plans.

• AESOP could meet with industry leaders who have facilitated the current level of interest in this issue.

AESOP Note

AESOP has participated in an ongoing set of discussions with an emerging consortium of rural interest groups. Since the AESOP’s presentation on this topic at the Joint ECOP/ESCOP meetings at Osage Beach, the Rural Caucus has been reformed in the House and leadership has been identified in the Senate. While at a meeting with the BOA Budget Committee Chair at the White House, AESOP was asked to quickly identify the potential role of university research and extension in addressing some specific needs of underserved communities. Several Congressional offices that are considering passage of legislation in the spring have contacted us. RURPRI and AESOP have met jointly with the leadership of a group within the National Association of County Officials (NACO) to discuss meetings that NACO was having in on Hill and at the White House.

Possible Activities

• It is possible that the collation of interests will become more formalized in the next month or two, in which case AESOP will seek to the inclusion of SAES and ES liaisons identified by ECOP and ESCOP.

• The ECOP and ESCOP Legislative Committees may wish to meet separately and then jointly via teleconference to review the emergence of this initiative and to consider their respective goals and objectives

AESOP Note

Both ECOP and ESCOP seem very interested in increased interactions with the health science and education communities, primarily through NIH. Interests seem to range from pesticide residue and food safety issues through nutrition and diet to the impacts of welfare reform on children. These are all worthy issues and they should be explored. However, AESOP will need some guidance on how ECOP and ESCOP wish to "narrow down" the array of potential interests, before we can suggest some immediate activities.
 
 

AESOP Note

This is a well-developed and defined issue. There is a multi-agency Presidential Initiative underway. There is a new food safety institute established within the Administration. There is a large university-based food safety consortium. There are activities underway in the regions. There are several university-based institutes. There is a working coalition of industry groups. The critical question for AESOP is, what would ECOP and ESCOP want us to do, separate from what is already underway. More resources could be targeted for the system, in addition to USDA funding. AESOP could collaborate with one or more of the existing coalitions. There may be issues that the current Administration initiative has failed to address that AESOP could target. Guidance is needed on this one, not because so little has been done, but because so much is underway.

AESOP Note

There appears to be a great deal of interest among SAES Directors and others in this issue. It is very much a "Washington issue" and there may be legislation, trade negotiators, and Administrative action. It is also a perilous issue.

Possible Activities

• Until such time that a specific course of actions or recommendations are developed, perhaps out of an ESCOP Committee, AESOP could monitor and provide electronic news on this topic.

AESOP Note

The interest in this topic, like "health," is huge. The challenge again is to "get ones hands around it all." There are ES and SAES environmental programs ranging from water quality and livestock waste management to Farm*a*syst to EQUIP and so on. There are several possible approaches:

Possible Activities

• ECOP and ESCOP could identify one or two specific issues that AESOP should seek to support in other federal agencies, such as "waste management."

• AESOP could identify specific opportunities identified by SUNEI and seek funding that builds on the SUNEI efforts.

• AESOP could work with the appropriate ECOP / ESCOP Committees to develop a "comprehensive" environmental initiative that would incorporate a mix of existing programs.

AESOP Note

The Administration and Vice-President Gore has signaled a great deal of interest in an array of land-use issues, including land conservation, rural-urban interface issues and "odor." This is partly an "environmental issue" but it has a number of agricultural production and community resource issues embedded in it as well. The question to date is, is there a "Republican" mix of interests or is this becoming a "Democratic" issue, in which case there may not be any progress in the coming year.

Possible Activities

• AESOP could meet with the appropriate ECOP and ESCOP Committees to assist in identifying desired objectives and goals.

• AESOP could monitor the status of this issue and watch for possible opportunities.

• If the House Science Committee begins to revise or move its science agenda forward, AESOP will meet with the ECOP and ESCOP Legislative Committees to identify appropriate actions to assure that SAES and ES concerns are addressed.

• AESOP could routinely meet with OSTP staff to stay apprised of Administration science policy. AESOP will monitor the activities of PCST and the President’s Science Advisor.

• As appropriate, AESOP staff could meet with and participate in activities at NSF and NAS / NRC.

• AESOP could monitor the activities of the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over general science issues.

• AESOP could explore opportunities to collaborate with the Science Coalition and the Congressional working groups on "Doubling."

• AESOP could participate in ongoing "Century III" discussions, organized through NASULGC.

• AESOP could participate in the development of a "Science Roadmap," as discussed in ESCOP.

• AESOP could monitor and report on the university and possible Congressional response to OMB’s guidelines for A110.

This category is reserved for addressing unanticipated issues. For example, if the Reauthorization of the 20002 Farm Bill were to be moved up to the year 2000, the Chairs of ECOP and ESCOP may agree with AESOP to redirect time and resources to addressing this legislation, before the next quarterly plan is revised. In such matters, The Chairs of ECOP and ESCOP will jointly discuss with AESOP the need for such revised activities.

• AESOP will participate in the following meetings unless there are critical events underway in Washington:
• ECOP and ESCOP meetings, as well as joint ECOP / ESCOP meetings.
• SAES Directors annual meetings
• ES Directors yearly meetings, when they occur.
• ESCOP / ACOP Leadership Training Sessions, as requested.
• Annual NELD meetings, as requested.
• NASULGC annual meetings
• Appropriate AHS / CARET meetings, in DC.
• CARET Executive Committee meetings in DC.
• Appropriate CGA meetings in DC.
• CFERR and CFERR Legislative Committee meetings, in DC.
• Appropriate BOA meetings, in DC.
• BOA Budget Committee meetings and teleconferences.
• BOA Science and Technology Committee meetings in DC and teleconferences.
• ECOP / ESCOP Image Enhancement Committee

• As appropriate to the issues, AESOP will participate in the following ECOP and ESCOP committee meetings and teleconferences:
• ECOP
• Budget Committee
• Legislative Committee

• ESCOP
• Budget and Legislative Committee
• Partnership Committee
• Media

• Depending on the Congressional schedule, AESOP will attempt to participate in at least one of each of the research and extension regional meetings each year. AESOP will tend to target regional meetings where research and extension are meeting at the same location and time, to minimize the time out of Washington.

• AESOP is asked to participate in many additional workshops and activities outside of Washington. In general, AESOP may participate in a few workshops or activities that are deemed critical to carrying out its assignments for ESCOP and ECOP; these will be discussed between AESOP and the ESCOP and ECOP Chairs on a case-by-case basis

• AESOP will provide routine electronic communications via News from the Hill and Action Alerts to the system regarding its activities and needed actions.