Senate Schedules Appropriations Mark-up

The Senate Committee on Appropriations will be marking up the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies appropriations bill in an open session at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

"This is a great time to remind your Senate contacts of the short fall in funding for Wildlife Services, particularly in the nine states that lost earmarks in this area," commented Peter Orwick, executive director for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI).

The U.S. House of Representatives approved version has a $4 million increase to Wildlife Services operations to nearly $71 million.

Livestock protection programs were lost in the following states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota.

State sheep industry leaders are encouraged to share Senator commitments on predator operations funding with ASI's Washington, D.C., representative, Fran Boyd, who is working the appropriations process in the U.S. Senate. He can be reached by email at franboyd@meyersandassociates.com or by phone at 202-484-7134.