The Sacramento Bee today ran a story about an ANR decision to close the Genetic Resources Conservation Program, based at UC Davis. Reporter Maddalena Jackson spoke to program director Patrick McGuire and attended a "farewell coffee" last Wednesday to gather information for her story.
Since the GRCP's inception in 1985, the program collected more than a half million plant samples representing some 13,000 species. The collections are repositories for scientists looking to adapt crops to new threats, such as evolving insects and diseases, climate change and drought.
However, the story said that, according to UC officials, GRCP's successes were too limited to justify its expense. McGuire and his predecessor Calvin Qualset have accepted the shutdown, the article says.
Telling quotes from the story:
"We've been starved out of existence." - Qualset.
"No elected official has this on their radar." - McGuire
There "aren't any prospects for increased funding. We're hoping for better days." - Pam Kan-Rice, assistant director of ANR Governmental and External Relations
"Genetic reserves play an important role, if California agriculture is going to adapt. I don't think that's hit home yet." - McGuire