Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi, both R-Wyo., are encouraging the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to waive a restriction that is preventing agricultural producers from receiving emergency drought assistance equally.

In a letter sent today to FSA Administrator James Little, Thomas and Enzi asked the agency to continue to pay agriculture producers who own Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land the full established rental payments even if the producer uses the land for haying or grazing. Because of the severe drought, the FSA has opted to allow producers to use their CRP land, but if they do the federal government will reduce the amount it pays the producer by 25 percent.

Agriculture producers with CRP acreage are allowed to donate forage to non-participants without receiving a reduction in their payment.

The Senators wrote that, "This action, though well-meant, unknowingly pitted neighbor against neighbor."

The complete text of their August 16 letter follows.

August 16, 2002

Mr. James R. Little
Administrator
Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 3086 South Building
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Mr. Little:

We are writing to express our support for a waiver requested by the Wyoming Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee. The request, sent on July 19, 2002, asked for a waiver of the 25 percent rental payment reduction for all participating producers who hay or graze their Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, regardless of whether the forage is donated, leased, sold or for personal use.

As you know, Secretary Veneman released CRP acres for grazing or haying in Wyoming and 17 other states on July 11, 2002. The emergency release included a restriction; livestock producers that utilize their own CRP acres would have their rental payments reduced by 25 percent.

In an effort to increase donation of forage supplies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowed CRP participants to donate their forage to other livestock producers without a reduction in their rental payments. This action, though well-meant, unknowingly pitted neighbor against neighbor. CRP participants watched their non-participant neighbors rake in the donated forage. Meanwhile, it was not economically viable for the participants to graze their own CRP land due to the prohibitively high 25 percent rental payment reduction.

As Secretary Veneman recently noted in an August 12, 2002 press release, Wyoming is experiencing a severe drought. Currently, over 75 percent of Wyoming's pasture and rangeland is in poor or very poor condition. These extreme conditions have recently warranted a USDA emergency supplemental feed program worth $150 million for cow calf producers in four states, including Wyoming. These conditions should also warrant a waiver of the 25 percent rental fee reduction for those livestock producers that utilize their own CRP land. All Wyoming livestock producers have been endangered by the drought and they should all receive assistance without bias.

Once again, due to the extreme circumstances in Wyoming, we support the waiver request sent by the Wyoming FSA State Committee. Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response.