BOARD00908

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2002
• Description: Special Session Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Third Extraordinary Session
Sixty-third General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO

LLS NO. M02S-2064.01 Emily Hager
Coleman HOUSE SPONSORSIDP

INTRODUCED
HM02S-1001

Honse Committees

HOUSE MEMORIAL 02S-1001 MEMORIALIZING CONGRESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CROP AND
LIVESTOCK ASSISTANCE DUE TO DROUGHT.

WHEREAS, Snowpack levels and precipitation from rainfall have been far below normal for many
western states, including Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Facing one of the most severe droughts in the state's history, all Colorado counties have
been designated disaster areas, as dry conditions have greatly reduced the ability of farmers and ranchers to
produce their commodities and to provide related services; and
WHEREAS, The lack of moisture will drastically decrease the harvest of many Colorado crops, such as
wheat which is expected to yield a crop that is 25-40% of a normal yield; and
WHEREAS, Irrigated fanns on average have received only 15% of the water they normally use for crop
production; and
WHEREAS, In addition to making it more difficult to raise crops, the extreme dryness also carries with it
several secondary concerns, such as the loss of top soil, soil erosion, and an increased possibility of insect
infestation; and
WHEREAS, Fanners who are unable to produce any crop at all become ineligible for federal farm
programs that would otherwise provide financial assistance to equalize the market price and the county target
price; and .
WHEREAS, The suffering state of agriculture directly impacts the prospects of raising livestock, by way
of low'yielding feeder crops, limited harvest foliage and forage, and the increasing price of hay and other feed;
and
WHEREAS, Livestock auction barns in the west are extending their sale hours to accommodate the large
numbers oflivestock being sold because ranchers cannot afford to feed their herds; and
WHEREAS, There is no insurance available for suffering livestock producers; and
WHEREAS, Livestock and crop prices alike have been low since 1997, giving producers very little
financial cushion for hard times; and
WHEREAS, The financial impact caused by the drought could be devastating to Colorado's agricultural
community, but will also have an overall effect on the economy of the entire state; and
WHEREAS, An allocation of nearly $2:5 billion for disaster assistance was originally included in the
federal Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, commonly known as the "2002 Farm Bill", but this
allocation was removed during conference committee deliberations on the bill; and
WHEREAS, Members of Congress subsequently tried to make disaster assistance moneys available by
including an allocation in another bill, but unfortunately, this attempt failed as well; now, therefore,