Plan will save UNR agriculture school

University officials joined representatives of agriculture Thursday in presenting a plan they say will save the University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources from closing.

The closure was proposed by the campus to save

$4.5 million of the $11 million UNR must cut from its budgets effective July 1. That is UNR's share of the 6.9 percent budget cuts ordered by the Legislature and governor during February's special session.

The result will be consolidation of divisions and a loss of seven faculty members. But Louis Test of Reno, one of the school's advocates, said no core functions of the school will be lost.

UNR President Milt Glick told the Interim Finance Committee on Thursday the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences department and the Biochemical and Molecular Biology department will be kept.

Nutrition and dietetics, plant and animal programs, pre-veterinary and range science programs will be combined. The UNR farm and meat processing plant will remain in business at least for the coming year.

The changes and reductions will save about $3.9 million of the $4.5 million needed.

Members of IFC voted unanimously to create a new state veterinarian's post after that position was unintentionally eliminated during the February special session.

Agriculture Director Tony Lesperance told the committee he never intended to eliminate the position, which is required by state statute.

Legislative Counsel Brenda Erdoes told the committee they can't reinstate the position and funding for it because it was eliminated by the Legislature. She said it has to be a newly created position.

"It has to be a different position; you're not re-establishing a position that was eliminated in the 26th Special Session," she said.

She said that means a personnel study to create the veterinarian's position.