Comment from Don Zobel

[200.205, 200.340] To Whom it May Concern: I am Emeritus Professor of Botany at Oregon State University, with expertise in plant physiology and plant ecology. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.205 and 200.340 that would undermine the integrity of federal grant review processes and federal science agencies' ability to identify and fund impactful research. Almost all of the work I have done is field oriented and long term. One project that I continue to work on in retirement started in 1980 and many of the results we have published became available only with 20 or 30 or 40 years of data, and the conclusions change with time. This type of work is probably typical of most field ecology; long term support is necessary, and interruption or fluctuation due to changes in political control of government would destroy these long term studies and their results. Our society's future depends on what happens in the long term, and that often differs drastically from short term results. The basis of scientific progress is freedom from the whims of politicians. I have tried to work in other countries where politics control scientific grant support; one of these can hardly support any indigenous science. I do not want the US to end up with third-world science, which will surely happen if politically astute but scientifically ignorant persons are allowed to control science. Imagine a political system run by plant ecologists; research controlled by ignorance and convenience and prejudice will be without value to anyone.