July 8, 1970.
Page 23316
FUNDS FOR CONSERVATION RESEARCH
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President.I commend the action taken by the Subcommittee on Agriculture, of the Appropriations Committee, in recommending funds for the construction of a soil and water conservation research facility at the University of Maine in Orono.
Faced with tight budgetary restrictions, the full committee has recommended that $600,000 be funded for the construction of this facility which can be of valuable service to the entire New England region. The committee's action reveals awareness of the increasing need of such research facilities to provide new approaches for the preservation of our basic natural resources.
As Senators may recall, in 1967 $45,000 was authorized for the planning of this facility. Although the planning stage was completed as of May 1969, funds added by the Senate for construction of the plant in 1970 were later deleted in conference. Moreover, since, the original authorization for the facility, estimates for its construction cost have risen from $450,000 to $600,000. I offer this information about the increased cost of the facility, and of others of its kind, in further support for the need to proceed with construction now, rather than to permit delay and be forced to incorporate rising construction costs into the building of the plant.
Mr. President, every day we become increasingly aware of the damage we have done to our environment and of the difficulties we face in correcting the problem. The services which facilities of this nature can provide, in conducting research into numerous areas of soil and water conservation, are urgently needed if we are to make progress in restoring the quality ofour environment.
I urge Senators to support the committee's recommendation in this matter.