09/22/05 Funds earmarked for Odessa Aquifer

09/22/05 Funds earmarked for Odessa Aquifer

Washington Ag September 22, 2005 Governor Christine Gregoire has earmarked 600-thousand dollars from the state's current capital budget to find ways to provide water to farmers who face shortages because of the sharp decline of the Odessa Aquifer. The money will help support a study by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to find other sources of water for the area's farmers. The funds will be taken from a six-million dollar appropriation authorized this spring by the Legislature in support of feasibility studies related to storage and operational improvements focused on the Columbia Basin Project and the Columbia River. Washington Farm Service Agency Director Jim Fitzgerald joins his counterparts in Washington D.C. late this week to learn about something called "FSA Tomorrow." An Associated Press story late last week suggested over six hundred local FSA offices around the country may be closed. Fitzgerald said earlier this week he hadn't received any numbers. Fitzgerald: "I assume the number will come with some flexibility. In other words if they use certain criteria that have to do with mileage or workload or the cost to deliver programs in a particular location, if that is of a concern, I imagine we will have some opportunity to discuss it before anything is done." Deputy Ag Secretary Chuck Connor says no specific decisions have been made. I'm Bob Hoff.
Previous Report09/21/05 CRP rental rates and wildlife
Next Report09/23/05 Governor`s trade mission promotes ag