WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and the Navajo Commission of Emergency Management (NCEM) have declared a drought emergency across the Navajo Nation.
This state of emergency was activated on May 30 in response to extreme and persistent drought conditions affecting large parts of the Navajo Nation; thus, prompting urgent calls for government resource coordination, livestock reduction by owners, and $6.5 million from the tribe’s Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) to help farmers and ranchers with their water and drought needs.
According to the resolution signed by both President Nygren and NCEM’s Chairman Marcarlo Roanhorse, the Southwest continues to be in a state of drought, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture deeming counties that make up the Navajo Nation as being disaster areas due to drought conditions:
-Apache, Navajo, and Coconino in Arizona
-McKinley, San Juan, and Cibola in New Mexico
-San Juan in Utah
Precipitation levels during the months of May through August were below seasonal averages, according to assessments carried out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“This has resulted in depleting water sources, degraded rangeland, and increased risk of wildfires,” Roanhorse said.
In New Mexico, which the Navajo Nation also encompasses, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a separate executive order in May, declaring a statewide drought emergency which activated the Drought Task Force.
The Navajo Nation is experiencing a similar situation, with 7,500 stock ponds and 900 windmills losing capacity and functionality.
All Navajo government agencies are directed to coordinate mitigation efforts with federal, state, and tribal partners. The declaration remains active until lifted, rescinded or superseded by additional action by the Commission or President Nygren.
“Drought is a major concern for many people who live in the Southwest,” said President Nygren. “But, for the Navajo people, this is our life. We are doing everything we can from the executive level to help our families, elders, and children with relief from our AIF fund, which depends on our drought insurance for emergencies like this.”
The declaration also calls for a total of $6,553,730 to be used from the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) to address these urgent infrastructure needs.
“We need to get our windmills repaired and help our ranchers and farmers – we are all part of the solution,” said President Nygren, who recently visited windmills throughout the Central Agency to better understand the hardships with windmills and their impact to producers.
Navajo Nation chapters are also authorized to use emergency funds for water hauling, storage, and local mitigation activities under the Navajo Nation’s existing emergency protocols, as required by this declaration.
Further, all Navajo Nation divisions, departments, programs, and chapters are directed to initiate emergency
response coordination, allocate resources, and implement drought mitigation plans in collaboration
with federal, state, and tribal partners.
This declaration shall remain in effect until rescinded or superseded by future action.
