BUDGET ENHANCEMENT REQUEST FORM

Transcription

1 BUDGET ENHANCEMENT REQUEST FORM APPROPRIATION AREA: ENHANCEMENT TITLE: Cooperative Extension Ensuring Capacity to Meet the Needs of Nevadans ENHANCEMENT ABSTRACT (Use additional space below for detailed description - see cell B62) University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) is the college whose mission is to extend knowledge from the University of Nevada and other land-grant universities directly to the state s citizens. Faculty, staff and trained volunteers, located in 19 learning centers statewide, assess educational needs and respond with programs and applied research initiatives. These centers are gateways to the university. This enhancement is to establish a state general fund appropriation level for UNCE, through its direct legislative appropriation, to provide the minimum funding necessary to meet the needs of citizens in all 17 Nevada counties and maintain the partnership established through state and federal legislation to conduct educational programming across the state. This request seeks to enhance FY13 funding and establish the FY14 appropriation at the amount proposed by the Governor during the 2011 Legislative Session. This enhancement, along with FY13 funds, would establish a $5,500,000 general fund appropriation. It prevents faculty and staff positions from falling below full-time status, maintains essential positions and prevents elimination of the statewide 4-H program. UNCE is in every part of Nevada, helping local governments strengthen their economies; helping agricultural producers manage risk and increase profits; helping families improve their health and fight obesity; training day care workers; teaching young people the skills that will help them become successful adults; and reaching Nevadans with more than 800,000 face-to-face contacts yearly. Cooperative Extension connects Nevadans with higher education, provides programs in all Nevada counties and helps citizens improve their lives. UNCE s programs include 4-H, Master Gardeners, Living with Fire, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, Cattleman s Update, Just in Time Parenting, and nearly 100 more. BUDGET SUMMARY FTE BUDGET FTE BUDGET Faculty/Professional ,186, ,186,362 Classified , ,436 Graduate Assistants Wages Fringe Benefits 688, ,092 Subtotal Salaries and Fringe 3,118,890 3,118,890 Travel 25,000 25,000 Operations 75,000 75,000 Equipment Total Budget Request 3,218,890 3,218,890

2 ENHANCEMENT DESCRIPTION AND JUSTIFICATION This enhancement seeks to establish UNCE state general funds at the level proposed by the Governor during the 2011 Legislative Session. Even though this proposed funding level represents a reduction of 28% from FY11, it will ensure that there will not be massive program eliminations that would adversely affect citizens statewide in FY14. Without the enhancement, urban and rural communities in Nevada will lose essential programs related to agriculture, community development, health and nutrition, horticulture, personal and family development, and natural resources. Reductions would also be massive in the 4 H youth development program. In FY12, the University moved state general funds from UNCE and partially replaced them with internal bridge funding. UNCE was founded in 1914 as a partnership between the federal government, land grant universities and county governments. Cooperative Extension exists through land-grant universities and systems in all 50 states. UNCE s purpose, as stated in the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS ), is to conduct educational, research, outreach and service programs pertaining to agriculture, community development, health and nutrition, horticulture, personal and family development, and natural resources in the rural and urban communities of Nevada. The NRS states funds to carry out the provisions of this chapter shall be provided by direct legislative appropriation from the General Fund. Federal enabling legislation for UNCE is found in the Smith Lever Act. These funds are appropriated through the USDA/National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) budget. Counties, as authorized in NRS 549, contribute through a tax levy of not less than 1 cent and no more than 5 cents on each $100 of taxable property in the county. In FY11, the proportion of funding received from all sources in rounded percentages was county (44%); state (30%); federal formula funds and grants (23%); and sales, gifts and other grants (3%). Without the enhancement, the state s contribution to the funding partnership would plummet to 13%, jeopardizing the commitment of all partners to this legislatively established collaboration. Funds to carry out the provisions of NRS 549 are provided by direct legislative appropriation from the General Fund. These funds are provided to NSHE, which has an oversight and fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the provisions of the statute are carried out. When a county agrees to fund Cooperative Extension, they must fund at the minimum tax levy amount required by the statute. In return, the statute indicates that the State shall provide a direct appropriation to carry out the provisions of the chapter. The State is a partner in the funding of the statutory activities under the agreement entered into by the counties. This enhancement would prevent a massive loss of resources to communities, including expertise, programs and grants. It is estimated that this enhancement would preserve or restore approximately 70 jobs through direct hires and positions supported through grant-writing capacity; approximately 400,000 face-to-face contacts with citizens annually; approximately $3 million in grant dollars that support Nevada communities; and funding leveraged from other sources in order to provide outreach programs across Nevada. The NSHE Economic Impact Study (2010) conducted for the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education found that every one employee in NSHE results in 1.58 jobs for Nevada. UNCE s 19 offices are an economic driver in Nevada communities. They provide classes, jobs, resources, afterschool programs, entrepreneurial leadership and innovative partnerships. Without these enhancement funds, the capacity of this vast, potent resource will not be commensurate with the needs of the population base and will adversely affect countless Nevadans. This enhancement request provides funds to: Hire Extension Educators and Specialists on full-time contracts, as opposed to the proposed.90 and.75 contracts respectively. This will ensure that faculty and staff efforts are fully directed at community needs. Maintain 4-H staff in all county offices. Provide needed expertise in subjects important to Nevadans, including water quality, livestock production, weed management, and health and nutrition. Provide baseline support for essential support positions. Impact thousands of youth through 4-H youth development programs, preparing them to make a positive impact on their communities and state. Continuation of the state 4 H office and statewide 4 H educational events.

3 Continuation of programs designed to meet the identified needs of citizens. Provide capacity to maintain an excellent grant acquisition record and further compete for funds to benefit Nevadans. Provide capacity to continue to build volunteer programs that enhance resources for local communities. Outreach teaching initiatives are carefully designed research based efforts that respond to critical community needs. One of the cornerstones of UNCE has been its ability to meet the formally identified needs of citizens and develop programs for the public good, while collaborating with both the public and private sectors. Applied research is conducted to gain new knowledge, solve practical problems and meet specific community needs. Citizen-focused publications and fact sheets are the result of both outreach teaching and applied research efforts. Fundamental elements of UNCE programming include: 1) Assessing community needs; 2) Responding to the knowledge needs of individual Nevadans and Nevada communities with educational programs and information; 3) Assessing the impacts/results from those educational efforts; 4) Leading, participating in or supporting the search for new knowledge that is relevant to priority local needs; 5) Searching for grant funding to support needed educational programming and/or related applied research; and 6) Educating people with that new knowledge. Over the past 10 to 12 years, UNCE has employed continuous strategic planning, which includes feedback received locally through formal assessments and daily interaction with citizens. UNCE has set goals and made organizational and programmatic changes that are responsive to the needs of the State. This planning was based on the assertion that the most impactful and sustainable changes occur only when mission drives organizational structure, staffing and new innovations. Local needs have provided direction for educational programs, applied research and grant activity. A few examples of the many UNCE programs that impact Nevadans include the following: 4 H staff continue to expand youth development by teaching life skills, record keeping and community service through various 4 H projects. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, also known as EFNEP, provides nutrition, food safety, and food resource management education to more than 1,000 low income families yearly in Clark County through an eight week class series. Living with Fire is a comprehensive, multi-agency program aimed at teaching homeowners how to live more safely in high wildfire-hazard environments. Thousands of homeowners statewide have reduced this threat as a result of education received. The UNCE produced Living With Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner is widely distributed, with more than 40 versions and 2 million copies. Master Gardener volunteers trained by UNCE answer nearly 20,000 phone calls and e mails yearly, and distribute thousands of fact sheets and publications on various horticulture questions. Master Gardeners in Clark County alone donated 82,058 hours in one year an average of 125 hours per volunteer and a value of $1,710,904. UNCE faculty collaborate or partner with more than 350 different state and federal agencies, private companies, local municipalities, city boards and committees, nonprofits, and other non UNR colleges and universities. UNCE, in partnership with the Nevada Rural Development Council, has completed and/or is working on assessments for a dozen Nevada communities. These assessments focus on community development and planning, and encourage civic engagement. The UNCE Radon Education Program annually averages more than 9,000 face to face educational contacts with Nevada residents and distributes an average of 5,000 test kits statewide to enable citizens to discover the presence of this cancer-causing gas in their homes.

4 Workshops on organizational skills and strategic planning have helped numerous boards, committees and commissions develop the tools and techniques to run effective organizations. UNCE leads the implementation of the Range Management School which integrates sound science and collaboration to bring together public agency land managers, livestock permittees and other land users for improved management of range resources. UNCE faculty provide early care and education training to more than 1,000 child caregivers each year impacting approximately 22,000 infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Additionally, the Caring 4 Kids Child Abuse self study training is completed by hundreds of caregivers annually, impacting thousands of children. The Sustainable Practices in Agriculture program tests and demonstrates crops that use less water and/or increase income potential to Nevada agricultural producers. Faculty helped producers develop teff, an alternative grain for Nevada, and worked with the owners to expand their product line by contracting with a flour milling company. Measurable impacts are being documented in the UNCE-developed All 4 Kids nutrition education program for preschool and kindergarten youth which is reaching children and families to address the issue of childhood obesity. People of the Land earned the Association of Natural Resource Professionals (ANREP) Publication Gold Award, the National Association of Agricultural County Agents (NACAA) Bound Book Award, and the National Extension Diversity Award. UNCE provided assistance and education to Lander County, Laughlin/Bullhead City, Nye County, Lincoln County and the Colorado River region on business retention and expansion, developing local leadership skills in community groups and key government roles, how to positively tackle and plan for change, and matching community desires with business/industry needs. The Spanish language version of the Family Storyteller Program (FSP) provided 278 sessions for 2,424 Spanish-speaking families for a total of 11,913 contact hours. Faculty taught 94 volunteers to become trainers. Family Storyteller received the National Partnership Award for Mission Integration from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Professional development for afterschool program staff was provided to 291 youth workers impacting approximately 9,000 school age youth. UNCE faculty coordinated the Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) program and provided field trainings in the correct location, installation and maintenance of construction site Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the construction industry and city, county and state staff. 4 H Afterschool programs were offered in approximately 68 sites in county and tribal schools. The programming includes educational opportunities for youth focusing primarily on science, healthy living, and civic engagement. Lake Tahoe Contractor Workshops taught watershed protection and best management practices (BMP) to contractors working in the Lake Tahoe Basin. A program evaluation revealed that respondents who attended completed nearly three times more BMP jobs per capita than those who had not attended. Spanish language trainings in BMP installation reached workers with job skills that would improve their employability. The Producer to Chef program teaches hobbyists and professional producers how to market their product. In 2010, 56 local producers a 40% increase over the prior year - sold locally raised products to Las Vegas chefs. Local farm tours introduced 40 chefs to local producers and their premium quality farm products.

5 Bootstraps program participants (18 to 25 year old rural Nevadans not in school and not working) improve wildlife habitat on public lands under the direction of a job coach while also learning positive work habits and job skills. Research on alternative, water conserving crops and the revegetation of dewatered farmlands is being conducted in the Walker Basin. Primary program outcomes include a final research report detailing the initial, two year findings related to alternative crops and revegetation of dewatered farmlands, which are being used to develop revegetation plans in the Walker Basin and Lahontan Valley. With USDA Risk Management Agency grant funds, UNCE faculty taught high school students, women and socially disadvantaged populations in Nevada about the concept of local food production, including marketing, business and financial management. Sixty-seven workshops involving approximately 1,200 producers were held. Project MAGIC, a program for entry level juvenile offenders and their parents, helps youth become productive adolescents and stay out of the criminal judicial system, resulting in future savings to taxpayers. The juvenile offenders learn about responsibility, decision making, conflict management, goal setting, communication, leadership, problem solving and drug prevention. The work skills employers say they need most decision making, problem solving, personal leadership, goal setting and teamwork were taught in five high schools to over 950 teens through the workforce readiness program, Career Edge. UNCE faculty collaborated with the Washoe County School District to utilize UNCE nutrition programs to meet USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program nutrition education requirements. This resulted in more than $500,000 in funding providing fresh fruits and vegetables annually to 10,000 Washoe County students, reaching 21 schools. The Team Nutrition Smart Choices program increased teachers and students awareness of a healthy diet, emphasizing the consumption of vegetables and fruits as a way to prevent obesity. This program, involving 129 teachers and 79 classes, reached 1,456 students. Three newsletters were distributed to 6,456 households and individuals. UNCE grants from the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fund nutrition education programs to reach Nevadans who receive food stamps. Examples of individual programs include one that helps low income families with a high risk of diabetes improve their knowledge of diabetes and its risk factors, and another that teaches third through fifth graders at several low-income schools to grow and eat their own food, while parents serve as garden volunteers. Leaders of the UNCE Basic Principles of Landscape Management program, a desert environment program targeting the green industry, trained 140 city of Las Vegas employees and 55 Spanish speaking green industry workers in one year. More than 300 additional students (100 Spanish speaking) learned correct pruning and other arboricultural techniques. This program is available in both English and Spanish. The Integrated Pest Management Program tests potential pesticides necessary for producing forages in Nevada and submits requests for federal testing and registration from the IR-4 Program, which is a federal cooperative program which helps the producers of minor crops obtain clearances for pest control materials on those crops.