Drought aid welcome, but not enough

When disasters strike in rural America -- like the devastating drought in the Great Plains -- there's all kinds of talk about how the government is going to help out with emergency assistance.

After seven years of disastrous dryness in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas, we know the drill by heart. First, there are utterances of concern by state and federal officials; then there are disaster declarations, followed by renewed debate about funding, and finally disaster appropriations reaching into many millions, if not billions, of dollars.

And, speaking from the Heartland, the drought aid is appreciated. It really is. The only problem is the perception that government is bailing out farmers; letting them escape the drought's effect with a government handout.

That's bull. The government's drought programs are a drop in the bucket, offsetting just a fraction of the cost of the continuing drought for farmers and the rural communities which support them.

Let's look first at the drought disaster declaration. Read those words carefully. All they say is that an area has been "declared" as drought-stricken. No aid is involved. That comes later when -- and if -- the federal government funds and distributes aid to counties designated by the governor.

It is also important to note that even after disaster funds are approved, they are not fully used. This is especially true for low-interest disaster loans, which are often bypassed by farmers because of government requirements. However, more participation is expected this year due to increasing commercial interest rates.

Other help comes in the form of roadside haying, which has just been approved for the severe drought area in Nebraska by the state's climate assessment committee. Showing the seriousness of this year's drought, this is the first time since 2002 that haying of road ditches has been approved in Nebraska. To get approval to cut the roadside hay, cattlemen need to work with the state. A good local contact is the Department of Roads office.

Another drought relief program allows farmers to do emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres. Farm Service Agency offices are coordinating this program, which opens up July 15.

What this all adds up to is that drought aid is available. But it will cover only a tiny portion of the terrific toll taken by the devastating dry conditions. The rest of the burden is carried by farmers and rural communities.