Changes include the Livestock Forage Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation that will affect multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that assist agriculture producers in the aftermath of adverse weather events is making its way through Congress.
A re-introduction of the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation would enhance the effectiveness and timeliness of a USDA response. The bill would also provide USDA with direction to help improve the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), which triggers certain disaster programs.
According to one of the bill’s sponsors, Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), “South Dakota farmers and ranchers are all too familiar with working through extreme weather conditions, especially drought. These common-sense updates to disaster programs would help provide greater and expedited assistance to producers when they need it the most and help ensure USDA programs are using accurate and consistent data in administering programs that are designed to help the agriculture community.”
Another sponsor, New Mexico’s Democrat Senator Ben Ray Lujan observed, “Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather are making it harder for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers to care for livestock, grow crops, and support our communities. USDA programs must respond faster and more effectively to provide the relief New Mexicans deserve.
The bill is supported by the South Dakota Farm Bureau, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, the American Honey Producers Association, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
The legislation would make the following reforms:
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP):
- Clarify that state and federal grazing permit holders are eligible for these programs
- Streamline the ECP and EFRP permitting process to allow:
- The Farm Service Agency (FSA) to waive the 30-day public comment period for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applications during a drought emergency
- BLM to accept archeological reviews completed by Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) field staff during a drought emergency
- BLM to accept NEPA and endangered species reviews completed by NRCS field staff
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP):
- Require ELAP honey bee assistance to factor in rates, including per-hive, per-colony, and per-standardized expected mortality, and require consistent documentation requirements
- Expand honey producer coverage for losses and costs, including transportation related to adverse weather and drought
Livestock Forage Program (LFP):
- Modify LFP to allow a one-month payment when a county reaches D2 (severe drought) for four consecutive weeks, compared to eight weeks under current law
USDM:
- Convene an interagency working group consisting of representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the state mesonet programs to develop recommendations to improve USDM data access, accuracy, and reliability
- Require the U.S. Forest Service and the FSA to sign a memorandum of understanding related to coordinating drought-related designation and response activities
