Tester, Baucus announce more than $3.8 million for Bozeman-area projects

Senators Praise Funding For Agriculture Projects

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Montana State University in Bozeman will receive over $3.8 million for agricultural research projects, Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus announced today.

The funding – $3,822,000 – is part of over $7,472,000 headed to Montana from the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill passed by Senator Jon Tester and his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The bill now goes to the full Senate for approval.  It must then be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by the President.

“I know the leading role agriculture plays in our state,” Tester said. “This money will be used to find a vaccine for brucellosis, develop new varieties of barley, manage noxious weeds, and help cattle ranchers.”

“Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy,” Baucus said. “We want to ensure that agriculture remains a strong part of our state’s economy and that’s why Jon and I worked together to secure this much-needed funding.”

The fiscal year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill includes funds for the following Montana projects:

• $2.5 million for construction of the Animal Bioscience Research Facility.
• $305,000 to continue work on developing an effective vaccine to reduce the risk of brucellosis infection in cattle.
• $547,000 to further development of quality barley varieties at the Barley for Rural Development Center. 
• $270,000 to develop and implement new management strategies for livestock and land managers to control non-native plants through the Targeted Grazing for Managing Invasive Plants Program. 
• $200,000 to help ranchers manage cattle herds and beef production to ensure Montana beef remains the highest quality through the Montana Beef Network.