Critical Agriculture and
Forestry Budget Items

VFBF Policy

Virginia Farm Bureau has policy positions supporting the following items in the various areas of the state budget.

Natural Resources

Maintaining and/or enhancing funding for Best Management Practices (BMP’s) Cost Share Program—at least $10 million per year based on the current staffing.

Higher Education

Fully funding the Commonwealth Staffing Initiative for the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Research Service – $2.1 million to fill 20 extension agent positions and 18 field specialist positions.

Providing some additional funds for equipment for new Agriculture and Natural Resources Laboratory Building at Virginia Tech – $5.2 million.

Secure funding for the Human and Agricultural Biosciences Building 1 – $44 million.

Agriculture and Forestry

Providing state matching funds for local purchase of development rights programs through the Virginia Agriculture Vitality Program – $15,000,000 as a cost share for local PDR programs as well as $500,000 for the Office of Farmland Preservation.

Fully funding Reforestation of Timberlands Program – Full match: Note that the full match in 2005 would have been $1,122,357. Because it is a matching program, the number varies based on the amount of the tax that the industry pays. The final appropriation was $372,357 short for this current fiscal year.

Restore position for the Agriculture Stewardship Program – $65,000.

Restore full funding of allocations of .05 percent allocation of pari-mutuel monies for the Virginia Equine Center Foundation; .05 percent allocation of pari-mutuel monies for the Virginia Horse Industry Board; .15 percent to VMRCVM without an allocation cap. Prior to 2003, funding had been capped through budget language at $80,000; $80,000; and, $240,000 respectively.

Funding the original debt agreed to by the General Assembly for the Virginia Horse Center – $890,000.

Maintaining the full funding for the Coyote Damage Control Program.

Maintaining and enhancing Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services marketing programs.

Preserving Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services weights and measures inspection services on livestock scales and on seed.

Maintaining the two agriculture education curriculum specialists.

Increase the Rail Enhancement Fund and designate funds for servicing rural businesses.

Continue to support funding for farm to market roads with emphasis on maintenance and unsafe bridges.