CHEYENNE - Gov. Dave Freudenthal asked lawmakers Tuesday to add more than $2 million to his budget proposal to fund enhanced oil recovery research at the University of Wyoming.

That change was among about a dozen Freudenthal added to his budget proposal for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 in a letter he sent to Sen. John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, and Rep. Phil Nicholas, R-Laramie, cochairmen of the Joint Appropriations Committee.

Some changes are the result of new information, some were from late-coming agency requests, and some are simply to clarify the original recommendations.

The $2.4 million request for UW to conduct research into enhanced oil recovery comes as a result of recommendations of the newly established state Enhanced Oil Recovery Task Force.

"Wyoming's oil fields are in most cases in declining production, yet the majority of the oil in these fields remains untapped underground," Freudenthal wrote in his letter to the JAC chairmen. "While unrecoverable by traditional production methods, Enhanced Oil Recovery techniques exist to recover significantly more oil from Wyoming fields."

Freudenthal has asked the University of Wyoming to consider funding half the amount, but has not yet received a response. If UW officials agree to the governor's proposal, the state share would be reduced by half.

The governor's letter to the JAC also includes two requests that do not change funding amounts but ask that the appropriations be effective immediately, including $10.5 million for work toward constructing a new prison.

Another immediate appropriation Freudenthal wants is $1.5 million for emergency insect management, to help cities and counties with West Nile virus prevention efforts, which begin in early spring.

Several requests are to transfer positions between agencies, and some are to make contract employees permanent full-time workers.

The total additional amount requested is $9,606,460, including $6,355,500 from the General Fund and $3,250,960 of school foundation funds.

Schiffer said governors have routinely sent letters to the JAC seeking changes in their initial budget proposals.

"We've been doing those letters for as long as I've been down here," said Schiffer, a 10-year veteran of the Legislature.