WASHINGTON, - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, continues to work on behalf of the people of Montana impacted by serious flooding and adverse weather conditions throughout the state.  After touring several impacted regions this weekend, Rehberg returned to Washington on Tuesday to continue his work to remove bureaucratic red tape and prepare for a federal response should the Governor request a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

“With waters continuing to rise, and experts saying it will get worse before it gets better, I’m doing everything I can to prepare for a strong federal response and reduce the man-made burdens for impacted Montanans,” said Rehberg.  “It’s times like these that Montanans show what we’re made of by coming together and helping each other out in whatever ways that we can.  I’m proud of all the folks I met who are lending a helping hand, and I’m going to do my part in Congress to ensure that the flood victims have all the support that they need.”

On Monday, Rehberg successfully added an amendment to the House Agriculture Appropriations Bill dealing with flood damage.  His amendment comes in response to concerns that the flooding, in combination with the wet, cold spring, delayed planting for many farmers in Montana.  To receive crop insurance through a federal program, there is a final planting date by which crops must be in the ground to be eligible for full revenue guarantees, and weather-related delays are making it difficult for many producers to meet that deadline.

Rehberg’s Amendment is below:

The Committee encourages the Secretary to work with producers who could not file the necessary paperwork within the designated time period for the Crop Insurance program due to flooding and other natural disasters in Presidentially declared disaster areas.

In addition Rehberg sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to extend the final planting date for Montana producers who grow crops whose final planting date fell after May 15, 2011.  He also asked him to extend the deadline for producers to file a notice of loss for prevented planning with their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to July 15, 2011.  Finally, he asked the Secretary to consider eliminating an additional inspection and the accompanying fee (at least $46) for producers who file a late notice of loss in an area that is subject to a Presidential Disaster Declaration.  Achieving a disaster declaration requires damage assessments to be conducted by county, state and federal officials, and asking for an additional inspection for individual producers is duplicative and unnecessary if their fields are in a disaster area.

The full letter is below:

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

The recent flooding across the State of Montana has swamped fields, damaged irrigation canals and destroyed crops.  Coupled with a cold, wet spring that delayed the planting season in several regions, this recent flooding will prevent many producers from having their crops in the ground by the final planting date.

According to a report from the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS), Montana farmers planted 59-percent of their spring wheat crop by May 29, a far cry from the five-year average of 95-percent. They also planted 77 percent of the barley crop, less than the five-year average of 96-percent. 

I am writing today to ask for an extension on the final planting date for Montana producers whose final planting date fell after May 15, 2011.  I urge you to give these producers until June 15, 2011 to plant their crops without penalty.  As you know, producers who do not meet the final planting deadline are provided a late planting period of up to 25 days for certain crops.  However, their revenue guarantee levels are reduced by one-percent for each day that their crop is planted late.

I also urge you to extend the deadline for producers to file a notice of loss for prevented planning with their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to July 15, 2011.  Extending this deadline will provide producers with additional planting flexibility.  This extension is critical for producers since, once filed, a notice of loss cannot be amended.

Lastly, I understand that producers who file a late notice of loss due to a natural disaster may be subject to an additional on-site inspection, which costs a minimum of $46.  I urge you to consider eliminating this additional inspection and the accompanying fee for producers who file in an area that is subject to a Presidential Disaster Declaration. Achieving such a declaration requires county, state and federal action, and additional inspections assessed on individual producers are duplicative and unnecessary if their loss falls within the time frame of a declared natural disaster.

To eliminate this red tape and provide disaster stricken producers in Montana with the opportunity to either plant a late crop or file a notice of loss without penalty, is critical to the health of Montana’s agriculture industry.  Montana’s producers are just beginning to recover from this recent spate of flooding and wet weather and this extension would be a welcome lifeline.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,