Bennet-led sub-committee wants drought in Farm Bill

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-colo., and 16 other senators Thursday called on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry leaders to address long-term drought in the upcoming Farm Bill.

“Agriculture is the economic backbone for rural communities in our states,” Bennet said. “However, severe, long-term drought is devastating these rural areas. During periods of droughts, our farmers and ranchers face diminishing crop and livestock outputs. These negative effects reverberate through the community, affecting not just individual producers, but the broader local economy and food system.”

The natural patterns of droughts have become more frequent, severe, and longer because of our changing climate. Since 2000, the American West has experienced some of the driest conditions on record, and the American Southwest continues to suffer an unprecedented period of extreme drought.

Bennett is Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources. He and his 16 colleagues on the subcommittee all signed the letter.

“We urge the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee under your leadership to consider these risks as you draft the upcoming Farm Bill,” the letter said. “The farmers and ranchers in our states are counting on a multiyear Farm Bill that provides support to conserve water, improve watershed scale planning, upgrade water infrastructure, protect land from erosion, and create long-term resiliency on changing landscapes for growers in drought-affected regions.”

In 2022, Bennet hosted 26 Farm Bill listening sessions across Colorado where addressing drought was a top concern for farmers, ranchers, and community leaders. In August 2022, Bennet helped secure $4 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to address drought in the American West by funding water conservation, habitat restoration and drought mitigation efforts.