Last week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee held a hearing on “The Status and Management of Drought in the Western U.S.” During the hearing, Senators promoted the federal hurricane system’s performance in New Orleans during Hurricane Ida, but noted that other regions experienced devastation that is likely to worsen as climate change produces more intense and frequent storms. Tanya Trujillo, the Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, stated that “this administration is working every day to collaborate with states, Tribes, farmers, and communities impacted by drought and climate change to build and enhance regional resilience. No amount of funding can offset the severe shortfalls in precipitation being experienced this year across the American West…the department and state and local partners have planned for this by being proactive and fully using the tools we have.” Julie Ellingson, the Executive Vice President of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, discussed how “a significant portion of the 6 million acres burned this year are on federal land – lands that could have been better managed through the thinning of fine fuels. Federal agencies must take a lesson from livestock producers to make these landscapes resilient for long-term challenges like drought and wildfire, but also resilient for changing uses.”
