Senators Micheal Bennet of Colorado and Mitt Romney of Utah led a bipartisan group of 14 senators in sending a letter to USDA about the western drought and conservation priorities. They’re asking the agency to give parity to the urgent priorities of Western growers and communities through existing authorities, new funding, and collaboration across government.
“The American West is in crisis,” the senators say in the letter. “Farm and ranch families hang in the balance as they grapple with a 22-year mega-drought.” They also say the acute shortage of water for Western growers threatens productive farmland across our states, which are both a pillar of rural economies and drivers of American food production.
In the letter, the senators asked USDA to support Western farmers and ranchers to conserve water, improve water infrastructure and efficiency, protect lands at risk of erosion, and provide technical assistance for growers in regions hurt by drought.
