UPDATE 2/23 #1: Our attention has been pointed to the Walz administration's October 13, 2021 proposal, Minnesota DNR announces $13.3 million funding proposal to address 2021 drought impacts on natural resources, which is the impetus for HF3598. [end update]
UPDATE 2/23 #2: Apparently Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Peterson didn't believe his own testimony in the second YouTube below, when he told the Minnesota House Agriculture committee on the record on February 16, "our administration's position is at some point have those bills married together, travel together."
In Petersen: Drought Package Needs to Move This Week via Ag Take, there's this February 21 item:
MORE: Via Red River Farm Network, VERBATIM: “During the Fosston Farm Forum, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said action is needed now.” PETERSEN: “We really need to pass that bill in the next bill in the next week whether it has the DNR piece attached to it or not, because it will take months to get checks out to farmers or for farmers to apply,” said Petersen. “We have to do a RFP (request for proposal), farmers have to apply and we have to cut the checks. Even if we do it by March 1, the soonest we’d get money to people would be April 1.
Did he mean his February 16 testimony or his February 21 testimony? Does Walz approve throwing the DNR under the bus?
Since this Bluestem Prairie post went up on February 22 , Senator Torrey Westrom has signed on as author of SF 3479, which will get its first reading in the Senate on Thursday after being Posted on 02/23/2022 12:28pm. The senate bill will be referred to the Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy committee, which Westrom chairs.
The committee meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3 p.m., but Monday's agenda has yet to be posted. Here's a screenshot:
And only HF3420(Sundin) is listed on the agenda of the House Ways and Means committee for Monday.
We're puzzled that rather than putting HF3598 on the agenda and merging the bills, that Chair Rena Moran and House Speaker Melissa Hortman are going along with this Ag Mafia foolishness. [end update]
Reporting for the Forum News Service, capitol press staffer Dana Ferguson reports in $23 million drought relief bill moves forward at the Minnesota Capitol:
A proposal to send aid to farmers and ranchers and to provide money to plant trees and seedlings after historically dry conditions in 2021 picked up bipartisan support.
A Minnesota environmental committee on Tuesday, Feb. 22, moved forward a proposal to provide more than $23 million in grants to farmers and communities hit hardest by the 2021 drought.
On a 12-6 vote, the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee advanced the Walz administration proposal to allocate $5 million to the Department of Agriculture to issue $10,000 grants to livestock producers and specialty crop farmers. Ag officials said priority would be placed on helping those in areas of the state that experienced "exceptional" conditions.
The funds could also go toward reimbursing farmers that traveled within 25 miles to buy hay or forage. Another $5 million would go to the Rural Finance Authority to fund drought relief loans.
Walz administration leaders [link added] also proposed that an additional $10 million be sent to the Department of Natural Resources to help the department, tribal nations, counties and landowners to replace seedlings and shade trees. And $3.3 million would be used to resolve well interference spurred by the drought and to set up systems that improve water efficiency.
"It's very important that as we go through this drought, which may be the shape of things to come with erratic weather caused by climate change, we are going to have a number of responses," Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, said. "We have to protect the public resource."
Here's the YouTube of the Environment committee's hearing:
Ferguson noted Republican resistance to this bill:
Republicans on the panel said the funds for farmers and ranchers were more pressing than water efficiency or tree replanting funds. And they urged Democrats to pull the provisions out so that an aid bill could more quickly move through the Capitol.
“I don’t think the governor’s office or apparently your office gets it," Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, said. “I’m really deeply disappointed that we’d ball this thing together and that ag bill wasn’t already dealt with a long time ago. That should’ve been out of here." . . .
We found that sentiment fascinating. The legislature convened on January 31, so it's difficult to see how "that ag bill" could have been dealt with "a long time again."
Indeed, the Minnesota House Agriculture committee heard "that ag bill" on February 16, a mere six days before. Representative Lueck should know that, as he sits on both the agriculture and environment committees.
Ferguson reported on February 16 in Legislative panel approves agricultural aid related to 2021 drought in Minnesota:
. . . State Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said the Walz administration was working to bring a similar bill forward this week and have a finished product approved in March. That could allow the state to turn around checks to farmers and ranchers in April.
Drought relief efforts have picked up bipartisan support at the Capitol and members of the panel said they hoped to see them make it through the Legislature quickly.
“I don’t want to see in any way, shape, or form this bill delayed even a minute,” Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, said. “There are real, legitimate emergencies out there. If you’re sitting there, trying to figure out if you’re going to be able to continue to operate this spring, that’s not a really comfortable feeling and even a week or two delay … I have great difficulty following that.”
Session Daily's Brian Hall reported on February 16 in Bill seeks more funding, increased eligibility for drought relief to MN farmers:
Farmers devastated by last year’s drought could see more assistance and increased eligibility as House lawmakers make a quick push for further aid.
Sponsored by Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko), HF3420 would appropriate $5 million to the Department of Agriculture to reimburse livestock farmers and specialty crop producers.
An additional $5 million would go to the Rural Finance Authority Disaster Recovery Loan Program and change eligibility from those with at least 50% of average gross income coming from farming over the previous three years, to 20% in the past year.
Receiving bipartisan support, HF3420, as amended, was approved 12-0 by the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee Wednesday and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.
There is no companion bill.
Members agreed that aid is needed and hope the bill can move quickly.
“We’re not talking about stuff that is going to happen,” said Rep. Dale Lueck (R-Aitkin). “We’re talking about people that have had to take pretty, pretty substantial action that puts them right at the edge of surviving.”
Livestock farmers and specialty crop producers could receive up to $10,000 to cover drought-related expenses between April 1, 2021, and May 1, 2022. . . .
You'd think that instead of whining about the progress of two related bills, perhaps the rural Republican committee members might urge their fellow Republicans in the Senate to sign on to both bills. It's not as sexy as culture war or threatening to fire commissioners, but not all policy making is.
Both House bills are headed to the House Ways and Means Committee, and on February 16, Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen testified "our administration's position is at some point have those bills married together, travel together."
Here's Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen's statement about that:
We'd think both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate would have occasion to sign the "yellow jackets" on both bills and get this done, so that eligible farmers would get their checks and the Department of Natural Resource could start replacing saplings that perished in the drought.
Perhaps the House Republicans might have fewer tantrums in committee.
The Walz announced the outlines of drought relief in September, Governor Walz Announces $10 Million Drought Relief Package for Farmers, Producers. There was chatter about a September special session at Farmfest.
And there were headlines like Why getting drought relief to Minnesota farmers may hinge on the state health commissioner’s job status and Minnesota Republicans drop call to remove health commissioner, jumpstarting special session talks.
In November, MinnPost's Peter Callaghan reported in Why talk of special sessions of the Minnesota Legislature is a lot more common than actually holding special sessions:
People in and around the Minnesota State Capitol talk (and talk and talk) about special sessions like they are a common occurrence.
They’re not. With a few exceptions that fit into two specific categories, the Minnesota state Legislature rarely returns to St. Paul once the business of a regular session and the adoption of the state budget is wrapped up.
This year, a months-long debate over whether lawmakers will return has become part of a familiar political songbook. Since finishing legislative work in the Capitol in early July, Gov. Tim Walz and Senate GOP leaders have engaged in a back-and-forth about calling a special session to give bonus checks to frontline pandemic workers, provide drought relief for farmers and get help for hospitals and nursing homes battling COVID-19.
Just when it appears they will, they say they won’t. As it turns out, special sessions called to quickly pass bills on emergent issues in Minnesota are as common as unicorns.
It might not seem that way after the monthly sequence of special sessions of 2020, triggered by Walz’s decisions to extend his peacetime state of emergency. But those sessions were historic exceptions to the rule that makes it difficult to strike the sort of political agreements that would make governors comfortable in calling a special session that has no end. . . . .
Initially, a Labor Day special session was anticipated to ratify an agreement among the parties to give away $250 million in federal funds to essential workers who couldn’t work remotely during the pandemic. No such agreement has been reached. Then it was about getting help to drought-stricken farmers, who are still waiting for help. Then it was to tweak state laws regulating hospitals to give them flexibility to respond to the latest COVID-19 surge. Walz said last week that he’s waited so long for legislative action that he’s found ways around their inaction. . . .
Federal assistance?
We were curious whether Minnesota farmers had received any federal drought assistance, but this information is hard to come by.
There's an early August announcement from Senator Amy Klobuchar's office, for instance:As Drought Continues, Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Disaster Assistance for Minnesota Farmers and Livestock Producers.
We did find this early September press release from the USDA, USDA Expands Assistance to Cover Feed Transportation Costs for Drought-Impacted Ranchers in Minnesota:
In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought impacted ranchers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide more details and tools to help Minnesota ranchers get ready to apply at their local USDA Service Center later this month at fsa.usda.gov/elap.
“USDA is currently determining how our disaster assistance programs can best help alleviate the significant economic, physical and emotional strain agriculture producers are experiencing due to drought conditions,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The duration and intensity of current drought conditions are merciless, and the impacts of this summer’s drought will be felt by producers for months to come. Today’s announcement is to provide relief as ranchers make fall and winter herd management decisions.”
ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
ELAP already covers the cost of hauling water during drought, and this change will expand the program beginning in 2021 to cover feed transportation costs where grazing and hay resources have been depleted. This includes places where:
- Drought intensity is D2 for eight consecutive weeks as indicated by the S. Drought Monitor;
- Drought intensity is D3 or greater; or
- USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability.
Cost share assistance will also be made available to cover eligible cost of treating hay or feed to prevent the spread of invasive pests like fire ants.
Under the revised policy for feed transportation cost assistance, eligible ranchers will be reimbursed 60% of feed transportation costs above what would have been incurred in a normal year. Producers qualifying as underserved (socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning or military veteran) will be reimbursed for 90% of the feed transportation cost above what would have been incurred in a normal year.
A national cost formula, as established by USDA, will be used to determine reimbursement costs which will not include the first 25 miles and distances exceeding 1,000 transportation miles. The calculation will also exclude the normal cost to transport hay or feed if the producer normally purchases some feed. For 2021, the initial cost formula of $6.60 per mile will be used (before the percentage is applied), but may be adjusted on a state or regional basis.
To be eligible for ELAP assistance, livestock must be intended for grazing and producers must have incurred feed transportation costs on or after Jan. 1, 2021. Although producers will self-certify losses and expenses to FSA, producers are encouraged to maintain good records and retain receipts and related documentation in the event these documents are requested for review by the local FSA County Committee. The deadline to file an application for payment for the 2021 program year is Jan. 31, 2022.
Additional USDA Drought Assistance
USDA has authorized other flexibilities to help producers impacted by drought. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) extended deadlines for premium and administrative fee payments and deferred and waived the resulting interest accrual to help farmers and ranchers through widespread drought conditions in many parts of the nation. Additionally, RMA authorized emergency procedures to help streamline and accelerate the adjustment of losses and issuance of indemnity payments to crop insurance policyholders in impacted areas and updated policy to allow producers with crop insurance to hay, graze or chop cover crops at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment. This policy change supports use of cover crops, which improves soil health and can help producers build resilience to drought.
Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to improve irrigation efficiency and water storage in soil, helping producers build resilience to drought. In response to drought this year, NRCS targeted $41.8 million in Arizona, California, Colorado and Oregon through Conservation Incentive Contracts, a new option available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, focused on drought practices.
USDA offers a comprehensive portfolio of disaster assistance programs. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine all program or loan options available for disaster recovery assistance.
The federal programs don't take the state off the hook, but we do believe Commissioner Peterson and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are moving to help with drought related issues. Instead of petty bickering, pull together
Photo: Drought conditions in Minnesota. Via Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
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