Testimony of Jeff Olson, Program Manager
Plant Industries
North Dakota Department of Agriculture
SB 2398
February 4, 2003
9:30 a.m.
Senate Appropriations
Harvest Room

Chairperson Holmberg and members of the committee, my name is Jeff Olson. I am a Program Manager at the Department of Agriculture, and I administer the Minor Use Fund for the Crop Protection Product Harmonization and Registration Board through a contract between the board and the Department of Agriculture. I am here to testify for Commissioner Johnson in support of SB 2398.

The Minor Use Fund was developed by the 1997 Legislature for the purpose of conducting or commissioning studies, investigations, and evaluations regarding the registration process for crop protection products for minor crops. The Minor Use Fund was initially funded by a $350,000 transfer from the Environmental and Rangeland Protection (EARP) Fund. Grant expenditures from the Minor Use Fund during the 1997-1999 biennium amounted to $34,775. The 1999 Legislature authorized a carry-over of $314,724 into the 1999-2001 biennium and transferred $285,000 from the EARP Fund creating a balance of $599,724. During that session, legislation to change the definition of the Minor Use Fund to include studies for major crops and minor uses was also approved. At the end of the 1999-2001 biennium, there was a carry-over of $180,289.

During the 2001 Legislature, $500,000 was transferred from the EARP Fund to the Minor Use Fund for continued research, and the oversight of the Minor Use Fund was moved from the Pesticide Control Board to the Crop Protection Product Harmonization and Registration Board. To date during the current biennium, $133,275 has been obligated from this fund and another $250,000 was transferred from the Minor Use Fund to the NDSU budget in the Governor's budget and SB 1021 to defray expenses of minor use pesticide research. With these obligations and transfers, there is a current balance of $90,289 in the Minor Use Fund for the remainder of the present biennium. This amount is not adequate for funding the projects that we expect during the coming biennium.

Since the inception of the Fund, there have been 28 minor use projects approved, of which seven crop protection products have been made available for use by ND farmers. Table 1 shows the breakdown of the projects and their progress toward EPA registration. Participants in the program include NDSU, National Sunflower Association, Northern Canola Growers, ND Dry Pea and Lentil Association, U.S. Durum Growers, USDA Wildlife Services, and Dakota Pasta Growers. The program has created enormous interest and response during the previous biennia. Because of this interest and the success of this program, this bill was drafted to request $200,000 be transfered from the EARP Fund to the Minor Use Fund for research purposes.

Mr. Chairman, another bill that will likely cross your committee is SB 2319 which deals with removing the sunset of the pesticide registration fees and allowing for an allocation of $250,000 for the noxious Weeds line to be used for saltcedar control. This bill is being heard in the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday, February 6. Removing the sunset from the pesticide registration fees would generate approximately $450,000 of revenue to the EARP Fund and would allow for these two bill to be funded.

Chairperson Holmberg and Committee members, I urge a do pass on SB 2398. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.