NE Wyoming News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, along with U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (all R-Wyo.), sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging approval of a disaster designation request in response to the devastating wildfires across the state. A formal disaster designation would provide Governor Mark Gordon and Wyoming access to federal resources and disaster relief programs for the affected areas and industries.

In their letter, the delegation highlighted the extensive damage and its implications for Wyoming’s agricultural production. They expressed strong support for Gov. Gordon’s disaster designation request and urged the USDA to allow regulatory flexibility while Wyoming’s agricultural infrastructure is rebuilt.

“Wyoming has faced an extremely damaging fire season with more than half a million acres lost. The total number of fires so far in Wyoming this year is 522 with 24 being larger than 1,000 acres,” the delegation wrote. “A disproportionate amount of the area burned so far has occurred on private lands that are being used for agricultural production. As you consider this request, we urge you to consider the profound impact the disaster designation will have in sustaining Wyoming’s producers and agricultural community.”

The full text of the letter can be found here:

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

Today, we are writing you in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretarial disaster designation request from Governor Mark Gordon due to the unprecedented wildfire losses Wyoming experienced in the 2024 fire season. Wyoming has faced an extremely damaging fire season with more than half a million acres lost. The total number of fires so far in Wyoming this year is 522 with 24 being larger than 1,000 acres. A disproportionate amount of the area burned so far has occurred on private lands that are being used for agricultural production. As you consider this request, we urge you to consider the profound impact the disaster designation will have in sustaining Wyoming’s producers and agricultural community.

One significant example of devastation occurring in Wyoming is the House Draw Fire in Johnson County, which has burned more than 170,000 acres. Approximately 84% of these acres are privately owned while the remainder is a combination of Bureau of Land Management administered lands and State of Wyoming Trust lands. Presently this fire is 94% contained and expenditure will go above $25 million. This fire has resulted in at least 590 miles of fence destroyed, numerous stock tanks lost, livestock forage devastated, and livestock themselves perished.

We believe similar statistics will emerge during loss determination processes for other large wildfires particularly in Eastern and Northern Wyoming.

We also ask for your consideration for allowing maximum program flexibility due to nature-specific challenges faced by Wyoming's agriculture sector. For instance, impacted areas home to over 35,000 sheep face containment issues under Natural Resource Conservation Service wildlife-friendly fencing standards unsuitable for some situations.

Due to significant fencing loss this year across Wyoming we support Gov.Gordon's request considering waiver options regarding mandatory in-person inspection requirements alongside streamlined review processes aiding expedited rebuilding efforts where possible.

Furthermore leeway concerning payment limitations or adjusted gross income limits within program eligibility frameworks would greatly assist given average size agriculture operations present statewide potentially excluding essential restoration needed producers inadvertently otherwise lacking means affordably viable restoration pathways available Emergency Environmental Quality Incentives Program could notably aid recovery efforts post-fires considerably too.

Again requesting careful consideration extended towards respective requests holds impactful potentialities benefiting state's vital producer communities overall long-term significantly moving forward.

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Contact: Chris Berardi Sr Advisor/Communications Director