86 



The report also found that 46 percent of State university 

 agricultural space is in need of repair.* The pressure to 

 build and renovate facilities is increasing. 



PREVIOOS REPORTS /INVESTIGATIONS 



Although the UAB first pointed out the facilities problem more 

 than a decade ago and has produced numerous reports on the topic, 

 our analysis has been verified by subsequent reviews. 



Independent reviews by the Office of Technology Assessment, 

 the National Academy of Sciences, the National Science 

 Foundation, the National Association of State Universities and 

 Land Grant Colleges, and the Senate Agriculture Committee all 

 report that many of the Nation's research facilities are 

 underused, run-down, and duplicative of other facilities. 



Ten years ago, a General Accounting Office (GAO) 

 investigation of ARS facilities concluded that many facilities 

 were underused. Some facilities were staffed at only 17 percent 

 of capacity because, GAO charged, the system had too many 

 facilities in light of ARS's declining personnel. GAO 

 recommended that USDA consolidate research activities at fewer 

 locations.' 



PREVIOOS REFORM EFFORTS LAUNCHED WITH NO SUCCESS 



Users Advisory Board Recommendations 



As early as 1982, the UAB began calling attention to the 

 state of disrepair of ARS research facilities. In its February 

 1985 report the Board pointed out that awarding federal funds for 

 research facilities, without peer review or adding ongoing 

 operating funds, competed with funding for programs. The result, 

 we said, is interference with the setting of long-range 

 objectives and strategies. 



In 1988 the UAB further urged that no new construction be 

 undertaken on any ARS location until the existing Beltsville 

 facilities had been returned to first-class status. The next 

 year the Board recommended that funds needed to repair and update 

 Beltsville and the four regional laboratories be made available 



^ National Science Foundation, NSF-PRA Report 87-3, 

 Infrastructure, the Capital Requirements for Research, May 1987 



^ Government Accounting Office, GAO/RCED/83-20 , Federal 

 Agricultural Research Facilities Are Underused, Jan. 14, 1983 



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