COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH SERVICE (CSRS)—PROGRAM LEVEL-Continued

Mr. MCHUGH. Please provide for the record the fiscal year 1993 funding level, by program, requested by the Cooperative State Research Service to the Secretary, the level requested by the Secretary to OMB, and the final OMB allowance. Please provide this information for each of the categories reflected in the summary table previously requested.

[The information follows:]

OBLIGATIONS UNDER OTHER USDA APPROPRIATIONS

Mr. MCHUGH. According to the notes, you will be receiving $80,000 from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAPHIS in fiscal year 1993, the same as the amount received in fiscal years 1991 and 1992 for sweet potato whitefly control. How are these funds used?

Dr. JORDAN. The sweet potato whitefly has become one of the more serious pests to American agriculture in the past decade. The feeding activity by this insect is quite destructive. Due to the expansive host range of this pest, the methods of controlling it are cost prohibitive. Since the sweet potato whitefly is known not only in America, but in foreign locations with a tropical or subtropical climate, there is a vital need for scientists with required expertise in these various geographic locations. Scientists collect data on costs and returns for glasshouse, row crop, and vegetable operations allowing for increased costs and reduced returns subject to sweet potato whitefly infestations. Funds are used in foreign locations to ship biological control agents through the entire growing season. Regional economic impacts associated with the pest are also determined by the scientists. APHIS has provided funds to CSRS for assistance of university scientists in carrying out this work.

Mr. MCHUGH. For the last two years you have received funds from the Agricultural Research Service for the Office of Small Scale Agriculture, $84,415 in fiscal year 1991 and $63,836 in fiscal year 1992. Why is this funding discontinued in fiscal year 1993?

Dr. JORDAN. The Office of Small-Scale Agriculture-OSSA-was created to improve the flow of information about small-scale farming to agricultural producers and consumers. The office also serves as a liaison to other USDA agencies in identifying and directing research and educational programs to improve the usefulness of information received by small-scale farmers. The office is located in CSRS and ARS has been providing partial support for the OSSA activities. CSRS will be assuming full support for this activity in 1993.

OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS

Mr. MCHUGH. You are projecting that the Forest Service will discontinue your funding in fiscal year 1993. Why the change? Dr. JORDAN. The Forest Service has provided support for the National Atmospheric Deposition/National Trends Network. The current interagency agreement expires in September 1992. When the budget estimate was developed it was not anticipated that funding support would continue in fiscal year 1993. Discussions are now going on about possibly extending this agreement.

Mr. MCHUGH. You also are projecting that the Department of the Interior will discontinue your funding in fiscal year 1993. What is the reason for this change?

Dr. JORDAN. The Department of the Interior has provided support for the National Atmospheric Deposition/National Trends Network through funding provided the Cooperative State Research Service by the Geological Survey, National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The current interagency agreement expires in September 1992. When the budget estimate was devel

oped it was not anticipated that funding support would continue in fiscal year 1993. Discussion are now going on about possibly extending this agreement.

Mr. MCHUGH. According to the notes, you will receive $2,000,000 in fiscal year 1992 and $2,500,000 in fiscal year 1993 from the Department of Defense for biodegradable plastic research. Last year you estimated you would receive $900,000 in fiscal year 1992. What caused the expansion of this funding and how will these funds be used?

Dr. JORDAN. The expansion of this funding was the outcome of detailed planning of the project with the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center. More expertise and collaboration was needed to accelerate the commercialization of starch based polymer technology than originally anticipated. For example, biodegradability of this new class of product which contains 60 to 97 percent starch needed to be established in both marine and land environments. Similarly, considerable work needs to be done on the relationship between structural properties of these materials under different processing alternatives. In addition, there is a need for more research on evaluating additives that are fully biodegradable that can be blended with starch to provide the end use characteristics desired-e.g., strength, water and air permeability, shelf life under a full range of relative humidity, etc. Finally, there was considerably more work than initially planned in the disposal of this new class of product. Sanitary landfill disposal is not a useful solution. Composting or similar digestive systems need to be considered, including the ultimate use of the large quantities of compost.

PERMANENT POSITIONS

Mr. McHUGH. According to page 8-5 of the explanatory notes, your agency will increase from 226 permanent positions in 1992 up to 231 permanent positions in 1993. How will these five additional positions be used?

Dr. JORDAN. Additional personnel are needed to manage expanding programs such as the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants program, 1890 Capacity Building Grants program, and Higher Education Grants program.

Mr. MCHUGH. Your fiscal year 1992 base is five positions more than you requested last year. How are these five additional positions being used?

Dr. JORDAN. We currently anticipate that these five positions will be split as follows: one scientific position, three professional nonscientific positions, and one clerical position.

CLASSIFICATION BY OBJECTS

Mr. McHUGH. Would you please provide for the record a subobject class breakdown for the Other Services account as it appears on page 8-6 of the notes? Please spell out the cooperative and reimbursable agreements.

[The information follows:]

Mr. MCHUGH. You are requesting a 30 percent increase in travel and a 40 percent increase in equipment in fiscal year 1993 when compared with fiscal year 1991. Why such large increases?

Dr. JORDAN. Cooperative State Research Service uses a peer panel review process to evaluate the proposals received under the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants program, the Higher Education program, the Small Business Innovative Research program, and the competitively awarded Special Research Grants program. As these programs grow consequently resulting in a greater number of grant applications, it is necessary to use more panelists to review the proposals. Therefore the travel costs associated with our peer panels will increase an estimated $180,000 from fiscal year 1991 to fiscal year 1993.

Staffing for CSRS will increase by 13 permanent positions from fiscal year 1991 to fiscal year 1993 in order to manage new and expanding programs. In order to carry out this function, CSRS scientists visit the universities to conduct reviews and to prepare reports. The increase in travel fares as well as additional CSRS personnel traveling also account for the increase in travel costs.

With the increase in personnel and expanding grant programs, additional furniture and equipment, including computers, are needed.

PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGES

Mr. MCHUGH. You are proposing to change the bill language for the competitive grants program. What specifically would this change in language allow?

Dr. JORDAN. This change is proposed to cite the specific authorizing legislation for the competitive grants program which is consistent with amendments to the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.

Mr. MCHUGH. If the bill language for special grants were changed as you propose, what percent of administrative expenses would you charge?

Dr. JORDAN. As provided in the authorizing legislation for the special grants program, CSRS has been using four percent of the funds appropriated for administrative expenses. This proposed change in language would not change the percent CSRS is using