Maine farmers need help paying for more water sources, state officials say

State officers are pushing for extra assets to assist Maine farmers put together for and reply to drought and local weather change.

Maine has skilled 4 droughts inside the final six years. Three of them reached excessive ranges on the U.S. Drought Monitor severity scale in numerous components of Maine, state agricultural officers informed the Legislature earlier this week.

As temperatures rise, droughts could turn into extra extreme, placing strain on farmers to seek out and pay for brand new water sources, stated Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of Maine’s Division of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Further funds to assist farmers pay for brand new ponds, wells and water storage buildings can be transformational, she stated.

“Farms are going to require extra water sources,” McBrady stated. “Concurrent with that they want technical help and funding for the event of these buildings, programs and irrigation water administration plans, that are very basic to all of this.”

State environmental and agricultural officers stated additionally they want extra workers to assist farmers extra rapidly navigate the allowing course of for brand new irrigation programs. The method itself may be streamlined, as every division has totally different necessities.

A legislation permitted by the legislature final yr created a drought reduction program for Maine farmers, but it surely was by no means funded.

McBrady stated the governor’s newest funds proposal contains $2 million to capitalize the drought reduction fund, plus a further $300,000 every year shifting ahead.