Albert Lea has been chosen as one of 18 University of Minnesota regional Extension locations, intended to maintain service in counties while contending with state and county budget constraints and stagnant federal funding.

Starting in January 2004, the regional centers, like the current Extension Service, will provide education in agriculture, environment, nutrition, family development and other areas, as well as 4-H. But unlike the current program, it will offer them to the areas surrounding the county as well.

The new centers will give counties the opportunity to either to stop funding their current programs or decide to pay to complement services the regional offices provide, said Pat Stumme, Freeborn County Extension director.

For example, Stumme said the county could decide to pay an agriculture specialist to work in the county to help farmers. Although the regional center might have an agricultural specialist, a county-funded specialist could focus time solely on the county rather than the surrounding area.

Since all federal and state funding will shift to the regional center, all that will exist of the county’s program is whatever positions the county commissioners want to pay for.

What isn’t clear in Freeborn County is just what positions will receive emphasis or funding.

County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen said at the moment, he’s not sure how the budget for the current extension center will look until the new regional system has become more familiar to commissioners.

Commissioner Glen Mathiason said that while the 4-H program is important to commissioners, he couldn’t say what the budget for 2004 for will leave for the Extension Service.

Freeborn County’s Extension Service suffered some staff cuts in the last few years. In 2001, it went from having four full-time educator positions to just two part-time positions and a full-time position after the University cut the program statewide.

Aimee Viniard-Weideman, communications director for the Extension Service, explained that the regional Extension offices will have an infrastructure that will make their existence independent from county budget woes.

Viniard-Weideman said the re-organization will help do more with less due to fiscal constraints on many levels. The state legislature reduced the University’s budget by 15 percent, and the University in turn cut 10 percent of the Extension Service funding. The federal government hasn’t increased funding in more than 7 years. And since so many counties are having budget problems, and haven’t been able to commit money yet, the re-organization is designed to give counties flexibility in what services they want to pay for.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)