6 OPINION www.hpj.com All Editions May 2, 2022

Opinion

EDITORIALS

Stories of wildfires reminder of importance of rural firefighters

For more than five months the High Plains region has been tested again by Mother Nature. High Plains Journal, through its publication, hpj.com and social media, has provided many sto- ries from nearly every region of its coverage territory. The most dominant story has been wild- fires, although tornadoes, high winds and snowstorms have also captured our time. Wildfires across the prairie are not new in the Plains. Stories from the 19th century, at a time before statehood, were recorded by Native Americans and scouts who saw these massive wildfires. Today the prairie is a much dif- ferent landscape with crops, cities, reservoirs and, of course, many miles of fences for livestock. None of this development was possible without the ingenuity and investment of men and women who were risk takers to tame the West. In the late 19th century, the Plains were changing and sod farmers created their own dream of having a home, farm, stable, and amenities to carve out a liv- ing. The appeal of the country life goes beyond farmers and ranchers as urban dwellers have also want- ed to live a similar dream of hav- ing a few acres and a home in the country. All one has to do is look at the front range of Colorado where housing divisions have dis- placed longstanding dairy, sheep and livestock operations. These past five months have been more than just an occasional house or barn fire or less than a quarter section (160 acres) of pastureland. In the rural areas with tra- ditional farming and ranching activities, farms have expanded and that has stretched volunteer resources. Plus, in recent years extended droughts with lower humidity have set the stage for higher fire risk. Throw in a mix of rural and urban dwellers and that has added the need for greater fire protection services. In many rural areas the pool of firefight- ers, which have traditionally been men, are often working jobs that involve significant miles com- muting to a job. Longtime rural fire chiefs have said the ability to react quickly and deploy the fire- fighters with the tools they need offers the best hope to control it and reduce the opportunity for widespread damage. Recent fires have tested fire- fighters and unfortunately there have been several deaths and multiple injuries to others while responding to calls to help their neighbors. There is no way we can ever repay those volunteers for their willingness to risk life and limb to help. We should consider ways to provide greater assistance to volunteers. Most importantly it takes a community-from all sides-to recognize that fire and medical emergency services belong to everyone and as a result it likely means greater invest- ment in equipment and training and increasing the pool of men and women who can help make a difference. Those are delicate conversations that will take time and they should be targeted to a specific end goal. It may take a partnership of private-public entities, too. There will always be any number of unexpected and unknown subjects that will have to be cussed and discussed. The end result should be to add value to what rural firefight- ers and responders are doing because they are unsung heroes. By providing the resources nec- essary to help them we are also doing our part to protect the lives of their neighbors and hopefully be able to limit the loss of live- stock and property. Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or dbergmeier@ hpj.com.

Editor

Dave Bergmeier

Nebraska's farmers and ranchers make every day Earth Day

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report recently that underscored the urgency for implementing climate solutions and spelled out the gravity of the situation if action is delayed or curtailed. The urgency of climate change isn't something that needs to be explained to Nebraska's producers-they are on the frontline, seeing the impacts every year. But what struck me is that the overriding theme of the report was hope- ful. Though much more must be done to address climate change, there remains a hopeful pathway forward to address emis- sions, and carbon capture is a major element of the strategy. This message resonated with me given the investments that the United States Department of Agriculture is making in voluntary conservation efforts on pri- vate, working lands that can help build soil health, boost yields, sequester more carbon, and have a host of other environmental ben- efits to help meet that goal. In other words, conservation and production go hand in hand on working lands. It is fitting that this report and these recommendations were issued a couple of weeks before Earth Day. Celebrated globally since 1970, this is a day that people reflect on the status of the environment and com- mit to work to improve it. An old t-shirt slogan used to demand "Make Every Day Earth Day." With over two-thirds of the total land area of the United States privately owned, with 914 million acres in farms and ranches and 300 million acres in private for- ests, farmers, ranchers, and foresters make everyday Earth Day through the careful and deliberate stewardship of their working lands. Their actions are designed to ensure maximum yield with minimum input while protecting the natural resources on which all of us rely. Recently, the Biden-Harris administra- tion enlisted the help of farmers and ranch- ers in combating climate change in the very manner that was reflected in the IPCC report. Through the utilization of existing and new, voluntary, incentive-based con- servation programs, administered by the Farm Service Agency, amongst other agen- cies, working lands in rural America not only have a seat at the table in combating climate change through carbon capture, but are at the head of the table. Implementing programs as diverse as the Conservation Reserve Program and incentivizing cover cropping practices allow for maximum car- bon capture, but carbon capture is not the only result. These programs, and many others, improve water quantity and quality; enhance wildlife habitat; improve air qual- ity; reduce erosion potential; and provide for a more beautiful space to live. Last May, President Biden announced the America the Beautiful initiative, which includes a goal to conserve at least 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030. Much has been made of the operative word conserve. There have been sugges- tions that there will be forced conservation or imminent domain pursued to accom- plish these goals. In fact, last week in Lincoln a group from outside of the state came here to present an event designed to misconstrue the purpose of the America the Beautiful Initiative and mislead you into thinking it is a "land grab." That is not what the President's climate execu- tive order says or does. Simply put, this initiative will center on voluntary, locally led and locally driven efforts. As part of it, USDA and other federal agencies will utilize existing programs and seek to enhance funding and potentially build out additional programs for private landown- ers to use to enhance and extend steward- ship of their land. This is not a top-down approach to conservation, but a partner- ship in which program participation is voluntary, does not require conservation easements and is incentive-based. This initiative seeks to build on locally led conservation initiatives at a scale starting as small as an individual field. It hon- ors private land-rights and engages with farmers and ranchers as partners seeking to enhance their own operations while providing climate mitigation. While the goals are loftier in terms of participation in these important programs, the role of the federal government as a partner, col- laborator and investor in conservation has not really changed at all. These expanded investments in farm- ers and ranchers to aid in addressing the climate crisis through conservation is an excellent opportunity for hardworking men and women of rural America to continue to "make every day Earth Day." -John Berge is state executive director of the Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency.

It's farm bill season

It's hard to believe, but it's now been more than three years since the 2018 farm bill became law. As the old say- ing goes, though, there's no rest for the weary, something South Dakota agriculture producers know better than anyone. We're still more than a year away from needing to pass the next farm bill, but it's time to start thinking about it now. During my time in Congress, as a member of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, I've worked on four farm bills, and I'm particularly proud of the nearly 20 measures I was able to get included in the 2018 farm bill. Among other things, I authored provi- sions to improve the Agriculture Risk Coverage program, improve the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor, and include soil health as a research priority at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I also secured approval for a new, short-term alternative to the Conservation Reserve Program-the Soil Health and Income Protection Pro- gram-to provide an option for farmers who don't want to take their land out of production for the 10 to 15 years required under CRP. As I look to the 2023 bill, I will once again be rely- ing on South Dakota farmers and ranchers to lend their firsthand knowledge to this effort. I recently held the first of a series of roundtables I'm planning to hold in South Dakota to hear directly from producers. I will be holding additional roundtables to cover other farm bill priorities, including livestock, conservation]= and forestry issues. And, of course, I will also continue to rely on the many informal conversations I have with South Dakota produc- ers as I travel around the state. The life of a farmer or rancher is a challenging one. The food we eat every day depends upon their work, and our country would not long survive without them. I look forward to ensuring that the 2023 farm bill reflects the priorities of South Dakota farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers around our great country. -Sen. John Thune is a South Dakota Republican and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.