WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined colleagues in pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for additional drought investments and resources in Nevada and other Western states. As the West experiences drought conditions and the continued effects of climate change, lawmakers are specifically calling for further action through investments in upstream watershed-scale projects, water forecasting, water conservation, and watershed restoration.
“Drought remains a severe risk for American farmers and ranchers, and threatens farmland and local economies that rely on dwindling water resources, especially in states West of the 100th meridian,” wrote the lawmakers. “[T]here is more work to do as the places and people we represent are on the frontlines of climate change. We ask the Department to bring all resources to bear in helping address long-term drought and aridification in the Western United States.”
“[I]nvestments to comprehensively address both short-term drought recovery and future resilience in the American West must include both smaller-scale on-farm measures and larger-scale upstream watershed restoration and improvements,” the lawmakers continued. “Reliable and sustainable water availability is absolutely critical to any agricultural commodity production in the American West, and swiftly deploying funds to producers and watersheds in our States and Districts is crucial to help them respond to more frequent and severe droughts.”
Senator Rosen has been a leader in the fight to address drought in the Southwest. She helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is making a historic amount of funding available for water infrastructure improvements across the country over five years, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which delivered $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River. Last year, Senator Rosen secured funding for Lake Mead to address the impacts of drought on recreation and fight the closure of boat ramps. She also joined a bipartisan letter with her colleagues urging the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry to address long-term drought in the upcoming Farm Bill.
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