Budget Funds No Quick Security Fix: Experts

Apr 23, 2015

OTTAWA-Analysts say hundreds of millions of dollars of promised new security spending in the federal budget will not be an instant solution to national law-enforcement challenges.

The budget doles out almost $293 million over five years to police and intelligence agencies for additional resources to fight extremism.

University of Ottawa security expert Wesley Wark notes just $18 million of this money is earmarked for 2015-16, despite apparently pressing needs, particularly at the RCMP.

Concerns about homegrown extremism have prompted the Mounties to move more than 600 officers to counter-terrorism duties from investigating organized crime, espionage and other serious offences.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.