Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 23-05 declaring a Drought Alert in the State of Missouri in accordance with the Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan.
Article continues below
"With the summer months fast approaching, we want to be proactive to help mitigate the impacts of drought conditions we are experiencing," Governor Parson said.
"Missouri farmers and ranchers often bear the brunt of the consequences of drought, and we are already starting to see early effects on crops and livestock. While we cannot control the weather, we are committed to doing everything we can to alleviate the strain drought causes for our agricultural families and protect our food supply chains."
A Drought Alert, part of Missouri’s Drought Plan, is the first step for the Governor to direct state agencies to work together to provide as many resources and as much assistance as possible.
The Executive Order directs the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Dru Buntin, to activate Missouri's Drought Assessment Committee and requests that all Missouri and federal agencies participate as needed.
The Committee's first meeting will be held next Wednesday, June 7 at 2 p.m. DNR will coordinate additional meeting details.
The Committee will further assess drought conditions and make preliminary recommendations to Governor Parson by Friday, June 9.
Recommendations could include actions similar to those taken in the past, including a hay lottery program, opening public waters for livestock, easing hay hauling restrictions, etc.
Currently, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that all or portions of 60 Missouri counties are experiencing moderate, severe, or extreme drought conditions. The Executive Order declares a Drought Alert in these Missouri counties and any other county that begins experiencing drought conditions.
In a fast-moving drought, local condition reports are crucial to understanding impacts to provide timely and appropriate assistance. Citizens can submit information about local drought conditions at Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR). ■
The Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), approved the funding at its September 28 meeting on TxDOT’s Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC) recommendation.