Components Of Net Periodic Pension Benefit Cost

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Components Of Net Periodic Pension Benefit Cost [Abstract]

Components Of Net Periodic Pension Benefit Cost

Note I – Components of Net Periodic Pension Benefit Cost

Prior to January 1, 1999, we maintained a defined benefit pension plan for which most of our employees were eligible. We elected to freeze benefits under this defined benefit pension plan as of December 31, 1998.

In 1994, we adopted a non-qualified, unfunded, supplemental pension plan covering certain employees, which provides for incremental pension payments so that total pension payments equal those amounts that would have been payable from our principal pension plan if it were not for limitations imposed by income tax regulations. The benefits under this supplemental pension plan continue to accrue as if the principal pension plan had not been frozen.

Net pension cost for both plans included the following components:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
In thousands	2012			2011
Service cost	$	117		$	114
Interest cost		1,960			2,030
Expected return on plan assets		(1,683	)		(1,756	)
Amortization of prior service cost		1			12
Recognized actuarial loss		1,500			1,130
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,895		$	1,530

We plan to make total contributions of approximately $6.4 million to our funded, frozen pension plan in 2012 in order to obtain the Pension Protection Act of 2006 full funding limit exemption. We made contributions of $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2012. We plan to make contributions of $1.3 million in the second quarter, $10.6 million to $12.4 million in the third quarter and $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, respectively.

We are not required to make and do not intend to make any contributions to our unfunded, supplemental pension plan in 2012 other than to the extent needed to cover benefit payments. We expect benefit payments under this supplemental pension plan to total $1.2 million in 2012.