Joint Committee Committee on Joint Agriculture and Natural Resources (02/26/2014)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:	02/26/2014	ATTENDANCE

Time:	07:38 AM to 08:52 AM	Becker	E
		Brophy	E
Place:	HCR 0107	Buck	X
		Coram	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Garcia	E
	Representative Fischer	Guzman	E
		Harvey	E
This Report was prepared by		Jones	E
	Brooke Maddaford	Lebsock	*
		McLachlan	E
		Mitsch Bush	X
		Rankin	X
		Roberts	X
		Saine	*
		Scott	E
		Sonnenberg	X
		Tochtrop	E
		Vigil	X
		Fischer	X
		Schwartz	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
Briefing from CSU College of Agricultural Sciences and CSU Ag Extension		Committee Discussion Only

07:40 AM -- Briefing from CSU College of Agricultural Sciences and CSU Ag Extension

Craig Beyrouty, Dean, Colorado State University (CSU) College of Agricultural Sciences and Dr. Lou Swanson, Director of CSU Agriculture Extension, introduced themselves and distributed a handout of Dean Beyrouty's powerpoint presentation (Attachment A). Dean Beyrouty discussed the number and makeup of undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Agricultural Sciences and answered questions from the committee regarding the number of graduate students enrolled in the college and the number of resident versus nonresident undergraduate students. Dean Beyrouty discussed the distribution of students in each program within the college and the facilities in the college, including recent renovations; initiatives that are currently underway at CSU; the mission and leadership of the agricultural experiment station (AES); CSU departments that receive funding from the AES; and the College of Ag Strategic Initiatives. Dean Beyrouty talked about food safety research that is being done at the college; crop improvement research accomplishments completed at the college; the harvesting of beetle-kill timber for biofuel feedstock; and the impacts of AES research. Dean Beyrouty answered questions from the committee regarding the Delta County agricultural research station that was recently closed.

140226 AttachA.pdf

08:08 AM

Dr. Lou Swanson discussed CSU Extension activities within all of Colorado's 64 counties, the budget and funding sources of the extension program, examples of CSU extension programs, and he answered questions from the committee regarding the water supply for urban farming and marijuana cultivation. Dr. Swanson talked about Extension's involvement with emerald ash borer mitigation and urban and food system initiatives. He explained Extension's affiliation with the Colorado Water Institute and the Office of Community and Economic Development's study of the value chain of Colorado agriculture. Dr. Swanson answered questions from the committee regarding water conservation and information sharing.

08:28 AM

Dean Jeff McCubbin, CSU College of Health and Human Sciences, distributed several documents to the committee (Attachments B, C, D, and E) and discussed food safety initiatives at CSU, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), the Colorado Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), and fermentation research. Dean McCubbin answered questions from the committee regarding fermentation of food.

140226 AttachB.pdf

140226 AttachC.pdf

140226 AttachD.pdf

140226 AttachE.pdf

08:37 AM

Dr. Mark Stetter, Dean of the College of Veterinary Sciences, distributed a packet of information to the committee (Attachment F). Dr. Stetter discussed the importance of training veterinarians in a variety of disciplines; enhancement of CSU's beef health program; the creation of a field investigation unit to respond to acute and chronic livestock health issues; the One Health program; CSU's Animal Reproduction & Biotechnology Laboratory; CSU's Mycobacteria Research Laboratories; and CSU's equine education, research, and clinical service offerings. Dr. Stetter responded to questions from the committee regarding CSU's international outreach efforts, cancer research being done at the college, and the diagnostic medicine center.

140226 AttachF.pdf