Effort under way to restore BCAP funding in 2011 appropriations bill

istockanalyst.com
Thursday, January 06, 2011 5:53 PM
(Source: The Daily Star-Journal)By Sue Sterling, The Daily Star-Journal, Warrensburg, Mo.

Jan. 06--WARRENSBURG -- Agricultural and environmental groups hope to convince legislators to restore funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program in the Senate Omnibus Appropriations Bill that will be considered in March.

The BCAP program, enacted as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, would provide payments to producers for five years to establish eligible perennial crops and to transport crops to biomass conversion facilities.

The proposed fiscal 2011 bill, which failed to gain Senate approval in December, contains wording that would end funding for the program and effectively kill the biomass energy industry, according to Steve Flick, president of Show-Me Energy Cooperative in Centerview.

The bill also would cut funding for the Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels and the Rural Energy for American Program.

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