Lawmakers urged to assure bison eligibility for drought aid

Bill sponsors contacted prior to lame duck session

Lawmakers heading back to Washington to wrap up the unfinished business for the 2006 session are being urged by the National Bison Association to assure that the pending drought assistance package include language assuring that buffalo ranchers will be eligible for aid.

In a letter to U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, and all of the co-sponsors of the Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006, National Bison Association Executive Director Dave Carter wrote, "Bison ranches across the country are facing the same devastating weather-related conditions as cattle ranchers. Like their neighbors in the cattle business, our members have been forced to purchase expensive hay and forage to make up for the lack of adequate grass."

"We are compelled to write this letter because the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented the recent Livestock Assistance Grant Program in a manner that allowed State Departments of Agriculture to discriminate against the bison industry," Carter added. "In South Dakota, Texas and Minnesota, for example, bison ranchers were deemed ineligible to apply for any Livestock Assistance Grant Program funding."

Congress is scheduled to consider final passage of a $4.9 billion disaster assistance package when it returns for its lame duck session this week. The legislation contains provisions that allow livestock producers to obtain compensation for drought related livestock losses in 2005 and 2006. The legislation, however, does not define livestock.

Carter noted that the bison industry is just emerging to profitability after suffering four years of disastrous prices from 1999 through 2003.

"Unlike their neighbors in the cattle business, our members are already digging out of several years of record low prices for their animals. Consequently, bison producers' financial reserves were already depleted before this drought settled in," Carter wrote.

In addition to directly contacting the prime sponsors of the emergency legislation, the NBA issued an action alert to its membership urging ranchers to contact their members of congress on the issue.

Date: 12/21/06

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