The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) expressed support
today for the efforts of western Senators to prevent the expansion of a
federal conservation program into acquisition of water rights.
New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) offered the amendment this
afternoon to remove the new “Water Conservation Program” provisions from
the amended version of S. 1731, the Farm Bill. Domenici was joined in
supporting the bill by Senators Craig, Crapo, Burns, Hutchinson, Enzi,
Thomas, Kyl, Gordon Smith, Allard, and Campbell.
The provisions were inserted into the Senate Farm Bill after passage of
the bill from committee, and only recently came to light.
NAWG believes that water rights regulation was specifically and
deliberately left to the States, and that expanding the use of the
Conservation Reserve Program to acquisition of water rights is
inappropriate. The ability of the proposed program to acquire permanent
water rights – separating the water from the land -- interferes with state
water law.
Passing a Farm Bill this year is a paramount priority for NAWG. The
last crop of winter wheat under the existing farm law has already been
planted, and producers are already experiencing difficulty planning and
budgeting beyond the 2002 harvest season. Including objectionable
amendments in the bill – particularly slipping them in after Committee
passage – complicates the overall goal of passing the Bill.
“We encourage the Senate to remove this provision from the bill,” said
NAWG President Dusty Tallman. “These provisions turn the Farm Bill into a
bitter pill for western Senators, and will only serve to delay completion
of a bill.”
