Sen. Moran Meets with Acting USDA Secretary on Southwest Kansas Wildfires

Press Release

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) this week requested a meeting with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting Secretary Michael Young in his Washington, D.C. office. Sen. Moran spoke with Acting Secretary Young about the challenges facing farmers and ranchers impacted by the wildfires across Kansas this month.

"During my trip to Clark County over the weekend, I witnessed firsthand the scorched earth and devastation that the recent wildfire left in its wake," said Sen. Moran. "I requested a meeting with Acting Secretary Young to ask him about the flexibility of federal assistance programs as Kansas farmers work to rebuild their livelihoods. I also made clear the urgency needed for payments through the Farm Service Agency programs so farmers and ranchers working to build new fences and manage their land can do so quickly."

Sen. Moran spoke with Acting Sec. Young about the need for flexibility of Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) program requirements, specifically in the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). He also pressed for urgency in making payments in a timely manner under ECP and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and other FSA and NRCS programs. Additionally, Sen. Moran inquired about the program payment limits, including how legal entities and partnerships are treated in regard to established limits. Sen. Moran committed to working with USDA to provide more flexibility on the specifications for fence rebuilding and to expedite payments.

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