No one knows the scope of devastation that will be revealed in rural Colorado once our fields thaw, but we can say with a glum measure of certainty that it’s going be bad.
Untold thousands of head of livestock have succumbed to the recent blizzards, a harsh blow to Colorado ranchers who are such an important part of the state’s economy.
They are going to need financial help, not only in replenishing their herds, but in safely disposing of the dead animals without endangering public health.
Last week, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and the state’s congressional delegation asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare 10 counties disaster areas and identify sources of emergency funding.
In 2005, cash receipts for the state’s livestock industry totaled more than $3.9 billion. The areas affected by the snowstorms hold about a half-billion dollars’ worth of livestock.
After the storms, the Federal Emergency Management Agency got involved, providing money to local governments that were financially overwhelmed by snow- removal costs. But FEMA’s mission doesn’t include relief for livestock losses.
Assistance for farmers and ranchers devastated not only by the snow, but by successive years of drought, is addressed in a bill introduced this month by a bipartisan coalition of senators, including Colorado’s Ken Salazar.
The Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2007 would provide $4.5 billion in aid for agricultural emergencies not just in Colorado, but in other plains states.
Farm-state senators proposed a similar relief bill last year but were unsuccessful. Sen. Wayne Allard followed the White House lead and opposed that effort. He is still evaluating the new legislation, according to his staff.
Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave introduced their own bills this month that would compensate for livestock losses in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Rep. Tom Tancredo is pursuing his own effort.
We urge Congress to favorably consider the proposals to help ranchers and farmers whose livelihoods were so adversely affected by last month’s holiday blizzards.
