Washington, Feb 12, 2008 -

U.S. Congressman John R. Carter (TX-31), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, today announced that $220,000 has been included in the 2008 Omnibus spending bill for Grassland Soil and Water Research program at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in Temple.  This program develops and uses databases and models to evaluate soil and water conservation practices and programs.  The funding will enable field monitoring studies to determine the impact of land use and management, and suggest practices that will improve water quality in the Central Texas rivers and lakes.

“The research being conducted at the USDA-ARS is helping maximize the effectiveness of conservation programs across the country.  I am pleased to have once again assisted in securing funds for a joint project that has successfully worked to improve water and soil quality,” Congressman Carter said. 

The 2008 Omnibus spending bill passed the House and the Senate in 2007 and was signed into law by the President late last year.