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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Congresswoman Liz Cheney, all R-Wyo., issued the following statements today after the Department of Agriculture answered their call to grant crop insurance protection for producers hurt by the collapse of the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel.

“I appreciate the Department of Agriculture for acting swiftly to provide our producers with crop insurance protection,” Enzi said. “This is a critical time for many Wyoming producers. This decision will help provide greater certainty to our farmers affected by the tunnel collapse so they can prepare for the winter and the next season.”

“I applaud the Department of Agriculture for granting our request to extend crop insurance to affected farmers in Wyoming and Nebraska,” Barrasso said. “This much-needed relief is a lifeline to the Goshen Irrigation District community as they work to repair the damage. I will continue to work with Governor Gordon, the irrigation district and the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure the community has the resources needed to complete the reconstruction process.”

“Today’s announcement from the Department of Agriculture is a relief to those who have been impacted by the tunnel collapse,” Cheney said. “This week, the delegation sent a letter to the USDA encouraging the Department to ensure losses resulting from this disaster are covered by crop insurance, and I’m glad Secretary Perdue quickly responded to that request. Communities in the impacted area have had to deal with much uncertainty as this process has played out, but this action by USDA should provide some needed support as recovery efforts continue.”

On Aug. 22, Enzi, Barrasso and Cheney joined U.S. Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer and Representative Adrian Smith, all R-Neb., in writing to the secretary of agriculture seeking crop insurance protection for producers hurt by the collapse of the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel.

Before the collapse, the Gering-Ft. Laramie-Goshen irrigation canal tunnel transported water to more than 100,000 acres of land in Western Nebraska and Wyoming. The canal was built in 1910.