CONGRESSMAN SALAZAR PUSHES FOR DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS

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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen John Salazar (CO-3) today urged the House Appropriations Committee to maintain funds for wildland fire and agriculture disaster relief. The House is currently in conference negotiating the details of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2006. Salazar, who represents thousands of agriculture producers in a district that is 70% federal land, stressed the importance of these disaster relief funds for rural Colorado.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy in rural Colorado and we need to do what we can to help our farmers deal with natural disasters,” said Salazar. “Because of the prolonged drought and the growing infestation of insects such as the bark beetle, rural economies are in jeopardy. Emergency funding aimed directly at agriculture and wildfire disaster relief will go a long way to keeping rural communities alive.”

As a lifelong farmer and rancher, Salazar has a firsthand understanding of the challenges rural communities face with skyrocketing energy prices and drought. As a Member of the House Agriculture Committee with jurisdiction over the U.S. Forest Service, Salazar has made several moves in recent weeks to help farm communities with disaster relief, including introducing comprehensive fire prevention legislation, the Rocky Mountain FIRES Act (H.R. 4875).

The following is the complete text of the joint letter:

The Honorable Jerry Lewis, Chairman
House Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20515
 
The Honorable David Obey
Ranking Minority Member
House Committee on Appropriations
Washington, D.C. 20515
 
As you prepare for conference on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2006, we urge you to accept certain provisions in the Senate version of the bill that are of particular importance to Colorado.
 
1)  Wildland Fire funds – Colorado’s forests have been affected by prolonged drought and, in some location, severe infestations of bark beetles.  This has increased the risk to our communities to emergency levels.  Hazardous-fuel reduction projects can reduce that risk, and our State has hazardous fuels projects waiting to be implemented but lacking adequate funding to do so.  The Senate responded by including funds for such projects, and we urge the House to accept the Senate-passed increase to the National Forest System to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires and mitigate the effects of widespread insect infestation. 
 
2) Agriculture Disaster relief -- Over the past six years, Colorado farmers and ranchers have had to endure despite prolonged drought which has been compounded by lower prices and higher input costs. This situation has put rural communities in Colorado in jeopardy. A number of provisions in the legislation would provide emergency agriculture disaster relief funding to farmers and ranchers, and we urge you accept provisions to assist in crop production loss and support for supplemental nutrition and economic disaster assistance.
 
Thank you for your consideration of these requests.
 
Sincerely,
Congressman John Salazar
Congressman Mark Udall
Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave