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Western States Water Council Water Resources Committee Minutes Washington, D.C. March 28, 20061 . About $4 million was recently carved out for that purpose. Our watershed proposals dovetail very well with the Action Plan the WSWC is working on. As a tri division proposal, the Corps put in for money to help advance the Action Plan of the WSWC. The final scope can be modified to include the scope and tasks form the WSWC's report to the Governors. Our proposal was submitted to HQ in February, and we are anticipating a decision any day. We hope that we can help support the work for the WSWC Action Plan with planning and technical assistance. O&M budgets over the last many years have been flat lined. He listed additional programs. In summary, the Corps has a vast array of water resources programs. We have a desire to provide assistance, specifically for the WSWC Action Plan. Questions and Answers Weir: For most of the western states, the BOR is the big player. In our country, the Corps of Engineers has been the big player. Jack Stults: Do you have any speculation on WRDA passing? . Kevin: My understanding is that there has been a request to bring it back to the floor. THE 2007 FARM BILL: USDA'S LISTENING Mark Rey, USDA, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, gave a frank and insightful assessment of Farm Bill programs and policies. He said that the 2002 Farm Bill represented the strongest statement in favor of conservation of our working farm lands and waters that Congress has ever enacted. It authorized $2 billion, and it will expire in2007. Therefore, it is again before Congress. We have a strong interest in building on the lessons learned from the 2002 bill, and are offering suggestions in developing the 2007 bill. Secretary Johanns led a series of listening sessions about what the new farm bill should include. He conducted 56 sessions in 48 of the 50 states. In the course, the Secretary himself convened 40 sessions. Mr. Rey convened nine of the sessions. They have received many comments. Since the first of the year, they have been reviewing all of that information and distilling it. They will be putting together a series of background papers that summarize the major issues that were raised as broadly as possible. They will use the papers as a mechanism to determine what to propose to put in the next farm bill. The Secretary has asked that they reduce the ideas in writing by summer. No final decision has been made yet, but USDA hasn't undertaken this major effort to sit by and watch Congress . 12