WA House members unanimously pass legislation to provide relief for farmers, ranchers
House legislators voted unanimously Wednesday on a measure to help provide short-term financial disaster relief to farmers and ranchers in Washington state.
Under the bill, the Washington State Conservation Commission would be tasked with developing and implementing the program to provide funds for farmers and ranchers who can furnish documentation of “lost agricultural income or activity.”
The bill doesn’t identify funding for the aid after a $600,000 appropriation from the State General Fund was removed from the original bill.
Introduced by Blaine Democrat Rep. Alicia Rule, HB 2051 has an emergency clause for the bill to go into effect immediately if the governor signs.
During floor debates, Rule recounted the events from the flooding that “devastated” Whatcom County in November 2021. She said the rushing water was enough to move cars into nearby fields and explained that contaminated water risked shellfish that were downstream.
“Farmers didn’t just spare themselves, they spared their neighbors and they worked hard to spare their cows, moving them quickly to safety,” Rule told the other House members. “Some didn’t make it, sadly.”
The legislation will now head to the Senate for public hearing and consideration.
Several atmospheric rivers caused the Nooksack River to swell in November, leading to millions of dollars in damages in Whatcom County. An emergency declaration to allow FEMA to set up in the county was signed by President Joe Biden in January, following a severe weather state of emergency declaration issued by Gov. Jay Inslee in November.
There is no specific fund currently in place for farmers, but this bill would fix that, Rule said. Farmers need funds in a timely manner, she insisted.
If passed, farmers could use those emergency grants for multiple issues: replacement of damaged crops and livestock, utilities and rent, and other business-related expenses, among others.
Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, expressed his support to members of the House.
“This is timely given some of the damage we’ve seen but I think it also is a commitment to any future issues that may come up that we want to respond to,” said Corry.
The Conservation Commission’s first task would be to survey those damages and economic losses in Whatcom County.
The last day of the legislative session is March 10.
