Although the first quarter of 2017 is barely over, Congress is already working on one piece of must-pass legislation for 2018 – the next Farm Bill. This bill impacts nearly all rural landowners, farmers and ranchers from coast to coast.
In our home state, Senator Michael Bennet has been on a listening tour to hear what Colorado residents want to see in the next Farm Bill. And in Washington, DC, there has been a flurry of hearings to confirm the next Department of Agriculture secretary and determine the priorities for US farm policy for the next five years.
As Congress digs into this legislation, there is one essential part of the Farm Bill that must not be given short shrift: the section that covers US forest policy. The US Forest Service and many of its related agencies are housed in the US Department of Agriculture and therefore covered by the Farm Bill. read more >>