General Fund Budget Clears Senate Committee
Funding for agriculture and forestry was included in a $2 billion General Fund (GF) budget, which passed the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee Wednesday.
The Alabama Farmers Federation’s Matthew Durdin said lawmakers and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) have worked to preserve funding for the state’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) program.
“The General Fund budget includes $575,000 to fully fund the CAFO program,” said Durdin, the Federation’s legislative programs director in the Senate. “Poultry and livestock producers already invest in conservation plans and practices to protect the environment. This funding prevents them from also having to fund the regulatory program.”
The GF plan sets aside $12 million for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, including $3 million for the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) program. The Alabama Forestry Commission was level funded at $7.6 million. The Soil and Water Conservation Committee allocation was $2.4 million, including $81,403 in matching funds for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The GF budget awaits action by the full Senate.