Wayne Allard: “Colorado is right in the center of this drought. With all the stories you have heard about the States around Colorado…”

“Colorado is right in the center of this drought. With all the stories you have heard about the States around Colorado, we are much more affected than anybody else. This is a very unique drought. It is a more severe drought than any of the people in Colorado can ever remember. In fact, if you look at the tree rings up in some of the foothill areas, a study has been done which suggests that maybe this drought has been the most severe drought we have had since the 1700s. So we have a lot of individuals in rural communities, farmers and ranchers, suffering as a result of this drought. I have been working closely with the Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, to try to provide as much relief as we can with the program moneys available. I thank the administration for being responsive, but we have to do more than that. That is why I am a cosponsor on this particular legislation. That is why I am pushing hard for its passage. I grew up on a ranch in Walden, CO, spending my summers baling hay, and tending to cattle. But this year, hay is scarce and maintaining a cattle herd is a task of monumental proportions.”