Farm Bureau paper outlines ANR's future

The main focus for the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the coming year is beginning to rebuild, according to an article published today in AgAlert, the California Farm Bureau Federation's weekly newspaper.

The article, written by assistant editor Ching Lee, was based on information gathered directly from ANR vice president Dan Dooley.

The story says Dooley expects to be able to hire 20 to 30 new Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists in the coming year. The good news comes in the wake of major restructuring last year due to a 20 percent budget cut.

The 2010-11 budget, he said, is a very positive budget for the University of California.

"I think one of the things we were able to do was change the relative priority of higher education," Dooley was quoted. "We put a lot of energy into the advocacy effort and engaged a lot of people, and I think it bore some fruit."

Dooley said he doesn't foresee any specific, major restructuring for ANR in the coming year, Lee wrote, but there could still be more changes.

"Regardless of funding, if it's appropriate for us to look at more efficient mechanisms to administer our programs, we're going to continue to do that," Dooley was quoted. "I just think that's good business. Any successful private business is always looking at its organization and asking the question, 'Are we properly managing our efforts?' And we'll continue to do that here as well."

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