The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has done little to help San Joaquin Valley farmers during the three-year drought, has finally offered some relief to the agricultural industry. The USDA had declared 50 of California's 58 counties natural disaster areas because of the drought.
That will allow emergency loans to farmers who have suffered financial losses this year. But the USDA has not helped to increase the flow of available water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farmers on the Valley's west side.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he does not have authority over pumping water to the Valley, and has gone silent on the issue. We had expected him to advocate for a larger share of water during Obama administration cabinet meetings.
The Department of Interior has authority over water conveyance, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has essentially told Valley farmers tough luck when they've pleaded for relief. Salazar has embraced the environmental community in the struggle over dividing California's water.
We are disappointed in President Barack Obama administration's unwillingness to broker a compromise on this issue. Vilsack, the former Iowa governor, has been especially disappointing in his role overseeing USDA. He must do more on behalf of California agriculture.
While we welcome USDA's disaster declaration, it would have been better for the president to offer a much broader declaration. That declaration, which Obama turned down in July, would have brought a wide range of help, including food, job training and unemployment assistance.
Salazar appears to be the key administration official in the water battle. He visited the region earlier in the year and made some promises to farm leaders. But once he got back to Washington, significant help for farmers and farmworkers failed to materialize.
On this contentious issue, we must have government leaders who can bring the sides together, not determine winners and losers in the battle for California's precious water.
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