At the meeting of the Emergency Drought Commission, KC Sheperd, Farm Director, caught up with Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur, and talked about highlights from the meeting.
Data was shared by the director of the drought commission, Trey Lam, on what has been allocated for the drought districts. While there is still a significant need for drought assistance in many districts, Arthur said it was voted to push another 4.5 million dollars out to the conservation commission that will go out to the districts.
“I think the big focus was that we all realized there is still a very significant need,” Arthur said. “There is still a lot of drought across the state of Oklahoma.”
Arthur said some counties that did not have as many applications due to less severe drought. The funds allocated to those counties that were not put to use, she added, came back to the conservation commission to help those still in need of relief.
Some concerns were raised at the meeting by Oklahomans who felt that the funding was not being released fast enough.
“We also want to make sure that we are meeting our fiduciary responsibility and checking all the boxes and making sure that folks need to remember these are appropriated dollars, so those are tax dollars that are then going back out,” Arthur said.
Being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, Arthur said, takes a little more time.
Arthur also talked about why she is grateful for the members of the legislature who have been attending the drought meetings.
“We have had, probably, greater participation from members of the legislature in this emergency drought commission maybe than some of the things we have ever done, at least at the department of ag,” Arthur said. “We are so appreciative of that. I think I have heard from so many legislators because they have heard from their constituents- they are hearing that need still exists.”
Attendance to the drought meetings that have taken place so far, Arthur said, have ranged from all over the state of Oklahoma. Hearing from these different producers about their drought experiences, Arthur said, has been really impactful for legislators as they prepare to go into this next legislative session.
“The reality is, we have extremes here in Oklahoma weather,” Arthur said. “We have forever and ever. That is just the nature of what we as ag producers have to deal with.”
The drought commission is operating as long as a drought exists, Arthur said, but because there are not additional funds to be allocated following this meeting, a date for the next meeting has not been set yet.
“We will wait to see if there is movement from the legislature and what that might be, and then, very optimistically, we will just hope that it rains and that will make all of us very happy.”
