Fed Creates Working Group to Seek Drought Solutions

A day before this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor showed the advancement of drought conditions in parts of the western U.S. and northern Corn Belt, federal officials created an Interagency Working Group with leaders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies to “explore opportunities to improve our nation’s resilience to droughts and other severe climate impacts that are upending Americans’ lives and economic livelihoods.” The announcement of the working group including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack came after a cabinet briefing by U.S. weather scientists on the growing severity of the drought that’s cutting ag water availability in some areas to their lowest levels since the Dust Bowl. The group will begin its work by determining ways to support drought-stricken producers in the short term while creating long-term policies to help the nation’s ag systems become more resilient against drought and similar challenges to the industry. See more on the working group.