Governing takes action on drought

Gov. Mike Johanns has taken an important step in the campaign to help drought-stricken farmers and ranchers in Western Nebraska.

In an appeal issued Monday, the governor called upon farmers in the eastern part of the state to share hay with their counterparts in the west.

It is an excellent idea and should be followed up on. But, it's important to point out, programs like this just don't happen. They must be planned and promoted.

A statewide service organization needs to take the lead in writing letters, sending out notices to newspapers and placing public service announcements on radio and television stations.

The sharing of hay is greatly needed because of the plight faced by cattlemen in our area. For many, there is simply no feed. This places those with cow herds in a terrible predicament. They either buy feed -- which they cannot afford -- or they start selling off cow herds that they have taken years to build up.

Once again, we need to thank Gov. Johanns for coming up with the idea for sharing hay. But the governor must realize that it can't stop there. We must keep the appeal in front of the public. Until we are blessed with good, soaking rains for a prolonged period, we will continue to be beset by drought problems.

The governor has been concerned about the drought situation for several months. He was instrumental in getting 16 counties in the western and central parts of the states declared federal disaster areas because of dry weather.

In addition, Gov. Johanns is:

- Working with Farm Service Agency Director Brian Wolford to monitor and assess drought conditions so that application can be made for available programs in a timely manner.

- Encouraging the state's farmers and ranchers to communicate with county and state officials regarding drought conditions in their area.

- Directing the State Fire Marshal's office to step up preparedness for wildfires. The fire marshal will be working with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the Nebraska National Guard to prepare for fire emergencies.

- Calling back into action the Drought Management Team which was first organized during the 2000 drought. The team includes representatives from the state departments of: Agriculture, Roads, Natural Resources, Health and Human Services and Environmental Quality. Also represented on the team are the Game and Parks Commission, the Fire Marshal's Office, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the State Patrol, the Governor's Office, the Governor's Policy Research Office and the Attorney General's office.

None of these efforts can stop the drought. That's beyond our control. But, by staying focused on the problem and working together, hopefully we can ease the effects on those hardest hit by the drought.