Drought response funding is needed now, according to the Western Agricultural Coalition.
In a letter sent to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, a coalition of agricultural organizations offered support, assistance and counsel for the immediate implementation of drought funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, according to a news release.
The coalition includes several Western agricultural groups, including Western Growers and the California Farm Bureau.
Key coalition principles, according to the release, include:
- The Bureau of Reclamation should quickly release a notice of funding availability with guidance to water managers currently developing drought response proposals and urgently deploy that funding to address the most critical needs.
- As the Bureau of Reclamation develops a plan to deploy drought funding, they should work with local water managers, set goals focused on driving the voluntary participation needed, and keep the process, selection criteria and any necessary agreements simple and transparent.
- Any program designed to temporarily reduce agricultural water use must recognize the value of lost production, the extended impact on the rural community and the cost of developing incremental new water supplies. It is also important to avoid any actions that result in permanent disruptions to our long-tern capacity to produce the food and fiber that is relied upon in the U.S. and across the globe.
- Agriculture should not be the only sector expected to reduce water use for the benefit of river systems. Urban planners and water users must also seriously address growth and reduce overall use or diversions to protect these systems.
