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While the center will no longer receive any state appropriations, the Governor's action allows Iowa State University to continue operating the Leopold Center through private funds generated by its endowment account.
Roughly $1.5 million the Leopold Center would have received through the Agriculture Management Account - one of four accounts comprising the Groundwater Protection Fund - will be directed to the Nutrient Research Center.
The Leopold Center has earned a national reputation for exploring innovative, profitable approaches to farming that conserve natural resources and stimulate local economies. The center provides demonstration and field research in all 99 Iowa counties, and has sponsored the work of Iowans concerned about their natural resources through more than 600 research projects on topics spanning water quality, nutrient management, soil health, livestockgrazing, cover crops, and local food systems development. Many of the practices now recommended in Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy (such as streamside buffers, erosion control measures, and bioreactors) were first researched through the Leopold Center.
We appreciate the Governor for recognizing the importance of the Leopold Center, and how it furthers our land-grant mission of making a positive difference in the lives of Iowans.
We are especially grateful to supporters of the Alliance for Iowa State for contacting the Governor and elected officials to maintain the Leopold Center. With your continued support, we can achieve positive results like this in the future.
Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter incorrectly stated the $397,417 line item that previously supported the center would be transferred to the Nutrient Research Center.
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