Las Vegas, Nev. – This week, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is participating in a virtual tour of all of Nevada’s 17 counties, meeting via teleconference with community officials and government representatives, and attending virtual tours of local businesses and non-profits. The Senator virtually toured the family-owned Hillside Dairy Farm in Fallon to discuss the challenges and opportunities that Nevada’s agricultural sector is facing. She also held a roundtable to discuss issues related to the Walker Basin, including the restoration of Walker Lake and the new Walker River State Recreation Area, which was created in part through funding under the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In addition, she spoke by phone with local leaders in both counties.
“Nevada’s lands, lakes, and waters are resources that require our stewardship so they can support agricultural, tourism, and other industries as well as wildlife and vegetation. I enjoyed hearing from Nevadans about the opportunities and challenges confronting them and how we can work together. Our state is a leading dairy producer in America, with so many family farms and ranches forming the backbone of our rural economies. From issues with federal government regulations and potential threats from rangeland and wildfires, to the need for a strong labor force, Nevada’s farmers like Hillside Dairy need more support so they can keep their local communities strong and vibrant. I am always working on behalf of our rural communities in the Senate to get them the resources that will meet their needs now during this pandemic – and into the future.”
BACKGROUND:
Senator Cortez Masto voted for the CARES Act, which included $9.5 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to respond to the coronavirus pandemic through direct support to producers. She has also urged the USDA to provide swift and directed assistance to dairy farmers, dairy processors, and other associated businesses that have experienced a reduction in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also helped secure changes that allowed agricultural businesses and farms to seek assistance under the expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
Senator Cortez Masto has also been a longtime advocate for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which provides funding for projects on public lands. She cosponsored and voted for the Great American Outdoors Act, which permanently funds the LWCF at the fully authorized annual amount of $900 million and makes $1.9 billion available each year for five years for deferred maintenance projects within the National Parks Service, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education schools.