“We talked about work we are doing in the bioeconomy, both research and work in support of agriculture and some agriculture innovations and the role we play in youth development through 4-H and how these contribute to Michigan’s economy,” Coon said.

MSU Extension and MAES are funded as part of the state’s higher education budget. The state Senate approved a 3.1 percent cut — about $2.4 million — to that budget for next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The programs received about $64 million in 2009-10.

The proposed cut still needs approval from the House and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Coon said the 3.1 percent decrease in funding could affect administrative staff and structure at MSU Extension.

Pueppke said they’d prefer an increase in funding, but the proposed cut could have been deeper.

State Rep. Bill Caul, R-Mount Pleasant, a member of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said he would like to explore other budget options before finalizing the state Senate’s proposed cuts.

“What I am looking for are some places where we can make other choices that would at the very least hold (MSU Extension and MAES) harmless,” he said. “In order to do that, I have to find real dollars in some other programs that we are going to eliminate and use those dollars for maybe (MSU Extension and MAES) or scholarships.”

Caul said he has some ideas about how to do this but doesn’t want to share plans until he has more facts.

The 3.1 decrease to university operations funding including MSU Extension and MAES is necessary in addition to other funding cuts to eliminate the state’s projected $1.7 billion deficit, said Matt Marsden, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester.

“The 3.1 percent reduction is not bad given the fact that (university operations funding was) held practically harmless last budget cycle,” he said.

State Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, who chairs the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, said the committee plans to hear testimony from various groups affected by higher education cuts before making a final decision about the budget. The budget needs to be approved by the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

The 2010-11 fiscal year budget proposed by Granholm in February did not cut university operations funding and maintained $64 million total funding for MSU Extension and MAES.

“I favor the governor’s recommendation, which has no cuts to higher eduction,” Bauer said. “If at all possible, the committee and the House need to look at the governor’s recommendation.”