John Barrasso

09/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/06/2024 13:40

Wyoming Delegation Urges USDA to Support Local Wildfire Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis as well as U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (all R-Wyo.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging approval of a disaster designation request in response to the devastating wildfires across the state. Having a formal disaster designation in place gives Governor Mark Gordon and the state of Wyoming access to federal resources and disaster relief programs for the impacted areas and industries.

In the letter, the delegation emphasized the immense damage suffered and its implications for Wyoming's agricultural production. The delegation expressed strong support for Gov. Gordon's disaster designation request and urged the USDA to allow for regulatory flexibility while Wyoming's agricultural infrastructure is rebuilt.

"Wyoming has faced an extremely damaging fire season with more than half a million acres lost. The total number of fires so far in Wyoming this year is 522 with 24 being larger than 1,000 acres," the delegation wrote. "A disproportionate amount of the area burned so far has occurred on private lands that are being used for agricultural production. As you consider this request, we urge you to consider the profound impact the disaster designation will have in sustaining Wyoming's producers and agricultural community."

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

Today, we are writing you in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Secretarial disaster designation request from Governor Mark Gordon due to the unprecedented wildfire losses Wyoming experienced in the 2024 fire season. Wyoming has faced an extremely damaging fire season with more than half a million acres lost. The total number of fires so far in Wyoming this year is 522 with 24 being larger than 1,000 acres. A disproportionate amount of the area burned so far has occurred on private lands that are being used for agricultural production. As you consider this request, we urge you to consider the profound impact the disaster designation will have in sustaining Wyoming's producers and agricultural community.

One significant example of the devastation occurring in Wyoming is the House Draw Fire in Johnson County, which has burned more than 170,000 acres. Approximately 84% of these acres is privately owned while the remainder is a combination of the Bureau of Land Management administered lands and State of Wyoming Trust lands. Presently this fire is 94% contained and expenditure will go above $25 million. This fire has resulted in the destruction of at least 590 miles of fence, numerous stock tanks, livestock forage, and sadly, livestock themselves. We believe similar statistics will emerge during the loss determination process for the other large wildfires in Eastern and Northern Wyoming in particular.

We would also ask for your consideration for allowing maximum program flexibility due to the nature of Wyoming's agriculture. For example, the impacted area is home to more than 35,000 sheep for which the wildlife friendly fencing standards of Natural Resource Conservation Service prohibit effective containment for some situations. Due to the amount of fencing lost in Wyoming this year, we would also support Governor Gordon's request for your consideration of a waiver for the in-person inspection requirement for damaged fencing along with any other streamlined review processes that could expedite the rebuilding of so much fence. Finally, any leeway you could provide with respect to payment limitations or adjusted gross income limits for program eligibility would be appreciated as Wyoming is home to the largest average size agricultural operation in the country which could inadvertently exclude producers whom cannot afford needed restoration. We believe the availability of the Emergency Environmental Quality Incentives Program would be a significant help in our efforts to recover from these fires.

Again, we request you carefully consider Wyoming's request. It will have a profound impact on our state's agricultural producers.

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