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FRIDAY'S EDITORIAL

Extension, USC campus have value

THE ISSUE: Gov. Mark Sanford's budget

OUR OPINION: Clemson Extension, USC campus in Allendale should not be gutted

Gov. Mark Sanford is consistent. Throughout his political career, he has been a leader dedicated to streamlining government, willing to defy traditions, step on political toes and slay sacred cows. He's at it again with his second executive budget issued Wednesday.

Notably, the governor has not given up on two key proposals that would negatively impact The T&D Region: Curtailing the services of the Clemson Extension Service and closing the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie campus in Allendale.

While the Legislature will have its say and neither proposal is close to a done deal, it's important to again make key points.

USC-Salkehatchie has campuses in Allendale and Walterboro. The regional campus, open since the 1960s, serves students primarily from Allendale, Colleton, Barnwell and Bamberg counties.

Sanford's budget calls for closing the Salkehatchie and Union campuses, proposals that are not new. USC and locals have successfully fended off the calls in previous years, including a year ago.

With South Carolina ostensibly committed to rural development, it would be hard to make a case that closing the Allendale campus would be anything other than a severe blow for economically depressed Allendale County. It would also remove a valuable avenue for higher education for people in Bamberg County and deep into The T&D Region. The Allendale and Walterboro campuses are within reach of many traditional and non-traditional students.

As a year ago, we suggest that campus supporters may have to shift tactics to save Salkehatchie.

With USC-Beaufort (New River) expanding to a four-year institution and the coastal boom on the doorstep of the area served by Salkehatchie, supporters may find themselves pushing lawmakers to consider a consolidation of the Salkehatchie operation into USC-Beaufort.

The proposal would give to the Beaufort campus an immediate inroad into Colleton and might fend off outright closure of the Allendale campus. Savings would be realized in ending duplicate administrations and sharing faculty.

Saving the Clemson Extension Service may be more difficult. The governor continues a call to change the extension's roll in changing times.

Sanford maintains the extension should return to its primary mission of supporting agricultural enterprise and move away from its community development and support activities such as 4-H, and reduce what is called duplication of services in the area of food safety and nutrition and environmental conservation.

With Orangeburg still primarily an agricultural country, it seems a safe bet that our region would retain a primary focus of whatever is left of the extension and its support mission for agriculture. We certainly hope so, since the Clemson experts are front-line agricultural advisers and play a key role in big and small farming operations.