Rep. Schrier Takes Action to Protect Northwest Farmers from Impacts of Historic Heat, Drought Conditions

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) took several steps to protect farmers by helping to pass a disaster relief bill out of the House Committee on Agriculture and joining her colleagues in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack pushing for more relief following historic drought, wildfires, and heat in the Pacific Northwest. Her remarks at the Agriculture Committee meeting can be found here.

"I have heard from farmers in Washington state and my district in recent weeks about the impacts of an extreme heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in June, with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This came in addition to the challenges producers are already facing with ongoing droughts, catastrophic wildfires, and low soil moisture," said Rep. Schrier. "I'm thankful that ‘excessive heat' was included in the Agriculture Committee's disaster relief bill as a qualified loss so farmers in the Northwest will be able to access necessary relief."

Reports across the Pacific Northwest about the heat wave that recently affected the Pacific Northwest indicate berry crops, tree fruits, grain and pulse crops, potatoes, hops, dairy products, forage crops, and beef cattle experienced excessive heat impacts to yield and quality. For example, cherry growers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah have so far lost an estimated 20 percent of their overall crop due to the extreme heat wave. Farmers have told Rep. Schrier that their cherries were essentially cooking on trees.

The bipartisan, bicameral Members' letter to Secretary Vilsack highlighted incidents like the cherries to request the USDA open relief programs up to more producers that have lost crops and livestock to the ongoing droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires.