Today’s unprecedented drought has
left many states in the West clueless at a decent response to it.
Although it is not like these states have not experienced drought
conditions before. Public documents for the Western Governor’s
Association expose what really is taking place on the ground and why
this is happening.
In 1996 the Western Governors'
Association(WGA) put together a task force in order to look into
drought issues. In a report coming out of this task force to address
some of the mitigating issues that comes from drought. Here are the
three most important issues that came out of this report. The first
issue was to “coordinating the drought response needs of the
states by immediately identifying barriers to effective response at
the federal level.” The
next need was for each state “working with
existing state, federal, and private entities to develop criteria for
assessing various stages of drought and corresponding emergency
response measures and mutual assistance.” The final
tasks that need to be addressed were the “sharing of
solutions and relief measures that can be implemented within our own
states and localities.” 1
Six recommendations came out this task
force. They are as follows for drought management:
- Develop a national drought policy or framework that integrates actions and responsibilities among all levels of government (federal, state, regional and local). This policy should plainly spell out preparedness, response, and mitigation awareness for each entity.
- Ensure each state develops a drought contingency plan that includes early detection, decision-making criteria, short- and long-range planning and mitigation. Programs addressing public awareness and education on drought and water conservation should be included.
- Establish a regional drought policy and coordinating council to develop sustainable policy, monitor drought conditions and state responses, identify impacts and issues for resolution, facilitate intrastate activities, and work in partnership with federal government to address needs brought on by the drought. The council --consisting of policy makers and drought managers—would assist states—would assist states in developing drought preparedness, response, and mitigation action plans. Finally, it could be heightened awareness of drought and its impacts at both Administration and congressional levels of government.
- Establish a federal interagency coordinating group with a designation lead agency for drought coordination with states and regional agencies. This group should determine the federal government's role in drought response and mitigation. They should also seek to focus federal response and mitigation. They should also focus federal response and information so that states and local governments have access to “one-stop shopping.”
- Provide federal funding the National Drought Mitigation Center to assist states with drought preparedness, planning, and preparedness activities; provide a regional/national climate monitoring system; and develop a national/regional database of state drought response resources.
- Ensure drought is an essential element in any national discussion of water policy. This is particularly true for western water policy, where water is critical to the regions sustainability. Drought must also addressed as an integral part of the Western Policy Review Commission's assessment currently in progress.2
Let's
take a in-depth look into what has been done since this report by
evaluating the national response and then the response by WGA,
California and Nevada to the current drought. Many states and cities
have public documents which are available to the public to read. By
evaluating these documents we can see what has been planned for and
what has not and why. Let's first take a look at the National Plan
for drought.
One
item which was develop out of this report was the National Drought
Monitor map which was developed in 1999 by NOAA, Department of
Agriculture and National Drought Mitigation Center(NDMC) at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.3
Also in 1995 the National Drought Mitigation Center was established
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The main goal of this center
is for education, policy, planning, research and regional drought
preparedness.4
So it appears that some of the recommendations from 1995 were
implemented.
The
Western Drought Coordinating Council (WDCC) was established in
1997-1999. The WDCC created a report in order to respond to findings
in the 1996 WGA report.5
This report was created to respond to legislative and executive
problems to the 1996 drought. Out of this report it identified five
legislative and executive issues on the national response to drought.
It also created responses and the status of each of these issues.
They mainly deal with the FEMA and the USDA response. Also it entails
the Farm Bill and USDA outcomes to some of these issues. They also
have actions plans long-term planning for the legislative and
executive branches. The second half of the report focuses on
recommendations for the drought management, agriculture, water
resources, wildfire and forest health. So many of the issues which
are current today with the drought have been brought up in these
documents created almost 10 years ago.
The
National Drought Policy Commission's was created in 1998-2000. At
its site it states: “In
recent years, droughts have caused damaging and costly economic and
environmental impacts. Past discussion on drought management with the
Western Governors' Association included recommendations to "develop
a national framework that integrates actions and responsibilities
among all levels of government (Federal, State, regional, local, and
tribal)." On July 16, 1998, Congress passed the National
Drought Policy Act of 1998,
Public Law 105-199,
which established the National Drought Policy Commission. The
Commission is composed of fifteen members, representative of all
levels of government and other drought impacted groups, and is
charged by Congress to provide advice and recommendations on the
creation of an integrated, coordinated Federal policy designed to
prepare for and respond to serious drought emergencies.”6
Once
again another report was made on its findings and they had some very
specific recommendations for both the federal and state outcomes. The
number one topic was preparedness as a root issue of the report. As
we dig further into this topic we will evaluate how prepared everyone
is at the moment. One can also notice the break in reports to
droughts from 2000-2007. One could assume when President George W.
Bush took office he saw no need to push any climate change issues or
drought issues for federal funding or planning during his
administration. 7
In
July of 2007 the Geological Society of America provided congressional
testimony on managing drought. Another report was commissioned and
they created several recommendations.8
As we can see more research on this topic and recommendations for the
drought issues were addressed at this time. There are three more
parts to this story as to who created response plans and drought
policy.
We
cannot forgot the Western Governors' Association push to create the
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Act in 2006. 9
The
law calls for an interagency, multi-partner approach to drought
monitoring, forecasting, and early warning led by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NIDIS is envisioned as
a dynamic and accessible drought risk information system that
provides users with the capacity to determine the potential impacts
of drought, and the decision support tools needed to better prepare
for and mitigate the effects of drought.”10
The WGA also established a drought forum in 2015 to begin dialog into
some of the pressing drought issues that many of the Western states
were facing. 11
Finally
in 2013 Obama created the National Drought Resilience Partnership in
order to provide federal and state preparedness and cooperation to
drought and climate change. Once again this is another place for
research, education, planning, reports and programs which the states
can take advantage of for their drought preparedness.12
Once again we see some of these same reoccurring issues which keep
coming up in all of these reports, sites and commissions. So with all
of these places where the states had information, data and support to
go to why has the response by California and Nevada been so pitfall.
Let's explore this is part 2.
2 Ibid,
p. 5.
3 http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/AboutUSDM/Background.aspx
4 http://drought.unl.edu/AboutUs/MissionandHistory.aspx
5 http://drought.unl.edu/archive/wdcc/products/infoproducts.html
6 http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/drought/default.htm
7 http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/airenergy.asp
11 http://www.westgov.org/drought-forum
12 http://www.drought.gov/drought/content/ndrp
