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p3<5889sy>|q9s9gs|q+~q|s9x|q>gxϟ9<ϙ?3>gϞ|3s9>g>gyϟ"~όsy>g3:>g?<ϙ?0>g9 0s8?>g>gyϟ"~@sx>`02f>`? ϙ?0>g9 0y>O?'<>g>gyϟ&~@sx>`0O>p? ϙ?3>gϓ3y>O'?>g>gyϟǁ ~sy>g3O> ß?O >ϙ?3>ǵ?3y>O'?>g>gyϟ~|sy>g3_>ϟ?O&>yϘ9>sx?9>O'9>g>s|qϟς??<|yǞys|>s9|gx?&?Ϝ898>p8"?<>g>pϜxp~s>p8?px?&?ϟ yy>>x?<>"?>g>|'Ϝ|>x?s>|>?sx?~ߐdžߏǂ?σ{??σ>=<??ρ x8ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ񟞁ς'ρ>Oρ>Oρ?~?ρς-'σO>OO>O!?<x y<ρ27N>o>o<`yLJ?8p >|q89?ρ2?s8x9yy|9?sg993ρ? 33~ρyy?sg983ρ? ə3&0~s  ?8xyǎx|?3?~8q3-τO8!9s<pg? ????@*J:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGJ:\DRAFTS\NRLOGO.WPGhd\,3BV4d\,(3ҍ$  !   rX X r  'dxd( $ Figure  1  VZY I&mage <=8C HKKKK  !   rX X r  _  X-;XX-;XXX-;        6" hDL!X6,j\6&"`z1% `E,,%y%y,,%j !!        !!ReleaseNo._0166.00_% Ԍ̌XX-;  X-;XUSDA:Susan_McAvoy_Ԁ(202)7204623 f :    <" hDL!hX<X-;XXX-;X-;XXX-;    !  _NOAA_:Scott_Smullen_Ԁ(202)4826090#XX-;#! Ԍ V *  Ќ  *hXhX*X-;XX-;XXX-;    E+ 4 <DL!hXEX-;XXX-;X-;XXX-;     COMMISSIONURGESMOREPREPAREDNESSTOBETTERDEALWITH &  DROUGHTS;NEWFORECASTWARNSOFMAJORU.S.DROUGHTTHISSUMMER݌̌X-;XXX-;X-;XXX-;   4 WASHINGTON,May16,2000!Initsfinalreportreleasedtoday,theNational  DroughtPolicyCommissionrecommendedenhancedpreparednessandcoordinationinanefforttobetterdealwiththedevastatingthreatandimpactofdroughtsintheUnitedStates.ThereportcomesfollowinglastyearsseveredroughtwhichimpactedmuchoftheEasternUnitedStates. 4 Werespondedtolastyearsdroughtbydeclaringnearly2000countiesdisaster Z areasandofferingmillionsoffederaldollarstohelpproviderelief,saidAgricultureSecretaryDan_Glickman_,theCommissionsChairperson. Inadditiontorapidresponseandneededemergencyfinancialassistance,wemustsignificantlyupgradeourpreventiveefforts!bothwithinthegovernmentandamongthepublic. F  4 TheCommission,createdbyCongressin1998,recommendedthatnationaldroughtpolicyfavorpreparednessoverinsurance,insuranceoverrelief,andincentivestoproducersandotherstoplanfordroughts.ThegroupalsoasksCongresstoestablishapermanentNationalDroughtCounciltocoordinatethemanyfederalprogramscurrentlyinvolvedindroughtissuesandtofosterpartnershipswithstateandlocalgovernments,aswellasnongovernmentalgroups.Additionalpublicinformationandtrainingeffortsarealsosuggested. 4 Secretary_Glickman_ԀtodayembracedtheCommissionsrecommendations,callingthem apositiveandwellreasonedsetofideasandlegislativeprinciples.SenatorPete_Domenici_ԀandCongressmanJoeSkeen,whohelpedcreatetheCommissionandservedonit,alsobackedtherecommendationsinthefinalreport. 4 "AschairmanoftheHouseAppropriationsSubcommitteeonAgricultureandasanativeNewMexicanwheredroughtisapersistentandsevereproblem,I'mpleasedtoseethiscommissionbringforwardaplanwithrecommendationsforaddressingthecatastrophicconsequencesofthisdevastatingnaturaldisaster.  more 0/3 @xx)2Inaddition,aschairmanofthissubcommittee,IhaveseenfirsthandthesevereeconomicimpactdroughthashadonitsvictimsandasaresultmySubcommitteehasdirectedbillionsofdollarsinrelieftoAmerica'shardhitfarmersandranchersduringthepastcoupleofyears,"Skeensaid. 4 InlightofthefiresraginginNewMexico,itisproofthatanounceof?+ ` hp x X?preventionisworthapoundofcare.Droughtemergenciestendtocreep,unlikeotherweatherdisasters.Droughtconditionscanleadtoshorttermdisasterslikeenhancedfiredangerandlong-termconsequencestoagriculture,wateravailability,andlocaleconomics,_Domenici_Ԁsaid. Whilelate,thepurposeoftheNationalDroughtPolicyCommissionistodefinefederaleffortsforcoordinateddroughtmitigationandresponse.Acoordinatedpolicyiscrucial. 4 Droughtcoststhisnationover$6billionayearineconomiclosses,pointedoutretiredBrigadierGeneralJackKelly,DirectoroftheNationalWeatherService,whotodayreleasedanewthreemonthdroughtforecast. Preparednessiscriticalifwearetominimizetheseimpacts.ThroughavarietyofNationalWeatherServiceproducts,wewillcontinuetohelpthenationpreparefordrought. 4 ThedroughtcommissionreportandrelateddocumentscanbeobtainedontheInternetathttp://www.fsa.usda.gov/drought.  #   4