Bipartisan group of senators detailed the impact of long-term drought on the American West
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and a bipartisan group of Western senators urged U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry leaders to address long-term drought in the upcoming Farm Bill.
In their letter, Sinema and her colleagues detailed how the record, long-term drought conditions in the American West threaten farmers and ranchers’ livelihoods and local economies that depend on shrinking water resources to thrive.
“Agriculture is the economic backbone for rural communities in our states. 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,” wrote the Western senators.
The senators explained how the changing climate has made natural patterns of drought more frequent, severe, and longer. Since 2000, the American West has experienced some of the driest conditions on record — harming farmers, ranchers, and growers, Arizona’s economy, and the food system.
Click HERE to read the senators’ letter.
Sinema routinely holds direct conversations with farmers, ranchers, and agricultural leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing their industry – including Arizona’s water supply, resources, and future.
In response to worsening drought conditions facing farmers in the American West, Sinema launched a Water Advisory Council at the Hoover Dam – an assembly of Arizona water experts and key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds – to develop solutions securing the region’s water future.
Between Sinema’s bipartisan infrastructure law and the historic climate and energy law she shaped, the Senator has secured more than $12 billion in drought relief and Western water funding. Sinema regularly meets with farmers, stakeholders, irrigation groups, tribal leaders, and her Water Advisory Council to ensure the funding is implemented efficiently and effectively.