State officials say no chance of closure at UM Research Station

By Ron Fitzwater

Recently rumors have been circulating that the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs was in danger of being closed. With the station’s critical importance to High Country Agriculture, primarily Christmas trees, the rumors caused more than a little concern among area farmers and agriculture professionals.

The issue first took shape in 2006 when North Carolina State University’s then Director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences suggested all research stations across the state be transferred in total to the university. NCDA&CS and NCSU have shared responsibility for the stations since 1912.

The suggestion was included in the Senate’s version of the 2007 Appropriations Act but the NC House did not agree with the conclusion made by the Senate and through the conference process tasked the NC Program Evaluation Division with conducting an evaluation of management practices at the stations.

“This issue of transferring control and management of the stations to NC State really came up the first time last year in the legislature and what ended up happening was there was a piece of legislation that directed the Program Evaluation Division to study the research station system and then present its findings to the legislature,” said North Carolina Department of Agriculture Public Affairs Officer Brian Long.

“The staff of that division collected information from NCDOA and NC State, they surveyed commodity and farm groups and other agriculture organizations doing a variety of things and collected a lot of information,” Long said.

The division presented their findings to the legislature in early May and among the recommendations made was that the management of the research stations be transferred from NCDOA to NC State and that consideration be given to closing at least seven of the 18 stations.

“The decisions reached by the division were largely based on looking at the number of research projects going on at the stations but not necessarily the quality of the research.

“They said, ‘You have seven stations that only have a handful of research projects so they are less essential to the system,’ and UMRS was identified on that list,” Long said.

This point was echoed by Dean of the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Johnny Wynne who said that NCSU was also against any options that would close the facilities because the Program Evaluation Division’s justification did not highlight the importance of the research being done. Basing closures on the number of projects at a facility according to Wynne “would greatly disadvantage small stations in terms of land and would eliminate both of our mountain stations. This would not make sense from a science standpoint because we need those locations because of the unique climate and soil in the western part of the state.”

Long said closing the stations from the NCDOA’s position was simply a bad idea all the way around.

“At a time when North Carolina is losing too much farmland as it is, with developers buying up farmland to use for whatever, the last thing we want to see is the state turn around and sell off productive farmland that they own.”

Long pointed out that the NCDOA has been communicating with members of the agriculture industry in the state and members of the State Legislature stressing the fact that the research system management structure in the state has worked well for a long, time.

“We have handled the administrative management; we have had staff there to help with the operation of the stations. What NC State provides are the researchers. The people doing the research are NC State faculty and staff, but the people who ensure that the practical nature of the research got done was our people. So it has been in the past a very good relationship and partnership,” he said.

As for future management from NCSU’s position, Wynne said that all the university really wanted was a well managed up-to-date system, and who was managing that system was not as important as how it was managed.

“No matter who manages it the state of North Carolina and agriculture deserve that type of system,” Wynn said.

One point that strengthens having NCSU manage the facilities is that all of the funding for research comes from the school.

“From any university’s standpoint there is a better understanding of what needs to be done in research by those who do it. In our state though there are some practical and political considerations when talking about a transfer. As the PED found, strictly from the standpoint of doing complicated research in the future the station should be transferred to the university. I am not in disagreement with that from the standpoint of science. However from the political considerations it is a little different,” Wynn said.

Wynn said that he is committed to working with Agriculture Secretary Steve Troxler to develop a strategic plan for the research stations that will be in the best interest of the agriculture industry and the citizens of the state. That commitment was made officially at a May 22 joint meeting between Wynn and Troxler.

Local officials are also working to ensure that the station remains open. On May 5 the Ashe County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution in support of the continuation of operations at UMRS in no small part because in 2006 the county realized $72,959,308 in agriculture income using some techniques discovered at the UMRS.

On the state level Representative Cullie Tarleton introduced a bill to block closing of UMRS and is very confident of its success.

Tarleton stated that he was confident that the station would remain open because of assurances that he received form NCSU and NCDOA.

“I think that actually what will happen is that nothing is going to happen right now. If anything the recommendation from the PED was like a wake-up call for the agriculture department. They know that they have been a little lax and they need to get a little more focused and I think they are committed to doing that. I think we will see a lot of discussions continue maybe on until later in the spring and then the legislature will receive recommendations as to what should happen. I would be surprised if the oversight shifted to the university right now though,” Tarleton said.

Tarleton added one of the main reasons he is confident in the continuation of operations at UMRS is that the research being done there is so unique and important to the tree farm industry that it has to be allowed to continue.

Senator Steve Goss agrees with Tarleton and is working to assist the congressman in any way he can from the Senate side.

“This is such a unique station here but what we need to do is figure out a way to enhance it in terms of getting the most modern and up-to-date equipment on site. The work they do for the Christmas tree industry is invaluable to the economy of the region because we are constantly battling Oregon and Washington among other states to control the market. We have to stay on the cutting edge,” Goss said.

Goss stated that he had taken no position as of yet as to who should manage the station but sees continued collaborative efforts there by NCDOA and NCSU as positive.

The Upper Mountain Research Station is located at 8004 NC Highway 88E, Laurel Springs at an elevation above 3,200 feet. The 454 acre facility has 11 full-time employees and between three to eight part-time employees.

For more information call (336) 982-2501 or click to http://www.agr.state.nc.us/research/umrs.htm