NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1975 SESSION

CHAPTER 906
HOUSE BILL 314

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE TO DEVELOP BEEF PRODUCTION IN THE EIGHTEEN MOUNTAIN COUNTIES OF THE WESTERN EXTENSION DISTRICT.

Whereas, the 18 counties of Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey, making up the Western Extension District of our State, are among the oldest and largest beef cattle producing counties with over 9,000 farms growing meat animals for an annual income of over twenty-seven million dollars ($27,000,000) per year; and
Whereas, these same counties have a present beef cattle population of 59,000 brood cows and 73,000 yearling steers, but by converting the 9,600 acres of idle crop land and 33,000 acres of unimproved pasture land to beef production these numbers could be increased by at least fifty percent (50%); and
Whereas, a cooperative marketing program for these counties at the present includes five out of a total of 11 yearling steer sales in the State, two out of the nine stocker cattle sales, and four out of 23 feeder calf sales with a potential to expand all of the sales in this area; and
Whereas, there are no beef cattle result-demonstrations presently conducted in the area and the area does include the Mountain Research Station containing some of but not all of the resources needed for beef cattle demonstrations; and
Whereas, the Mountain Research Station in order to have the professional, clerical and technical people associated with this and other programs will need to provide additional office and storage space; and
Whereas, the resources needed for these specialized beef cattle extension result-demonstration and capital improvement activities extend beyond presently available resources in terms of manpower, operating funds and capital improvement funds of the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund, in addition to all other appropriations, to the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service (N.C. Budget Code 18147) the sum of thirty-four thousand six hundred two dollars ($34,602) and to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (N.C. Budget Code 28021) the sum of twenty thousand three hundred eighty-seven dollars ($20,387) in each of the two fiscal years of the biennium 1975-77.
Sec. 2.  There is hereby appropriated from the General Fund, in addition to all other appropriations, to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture the sum of twenty-six thousand five hundred dollars ($26,500) with this sum to become a part of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Capital Improvement Fund ‑ 1975.
Sec. 3.  The above named agencies shall handle and coordinate the administration and expenditure of all funds appropriated by this action and for the purpose herein designated shall be accounted for and reported to the fiscal and financial system of the agency to which the appropriation is made as herein set forth.
Sec. 4.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.
Sec. 5.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 26th day of June, 1975.