On June 7th, the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources held a hearing titled: “The Western Water Crisis: Confronting Persistent Drought and Building Resilience on Our Forests and Farmland.” The hearing centered primarily around first-hand accounts of locals and field experts who testified on the significance of drought conditions across states like Colorado and Kansas. Senators on the subcommittee agreed on the magnitude of the ongoing issue that has plagued many of their constituents for years. Each witness gave unique details regarding the western water crisis, and every statement discussed the urgency of the situation. Witnesses offered their opinions about what the 2023 Farm Bill should include, such as more funding for post-wildfire recovery, high mountain conservation, technology implementation, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Discussion extended beyond the water crisis into other facets of climate change, including forest fires, floods, and extreme temperatures—all of which have a significant effect on the agricultural industry’s ability to grow crops year-over-year.
