Drouths, Federal Drouth Aid
Both Often Slow To Develop

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —(AP)— Unlike hurricanes or floods, drouths are slow to develop and sometimes hard to recognize — a key reason Washington's response to drouth sometimes takes months or never comes at all.

"I think we need to acknowledge the fact that the feds don't have a good way of handling drouth situations," said Len Boulas, deputy director of the Colorado Office of Emergency Management. "They've got to get geared up for this, and it's going to take time to do it."

For many, federal drouth relief has been too little, too late.

Federal officials met with emergency planners from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah in a recent two-day conference that focused on how to expedite drouth relief. During the Multi-State Drouth Task Force meeting, the federal authorities outlined the help they can offer.

In most cases, however, planners like Boulas had their worst fears confirmed as the federal bureaucrats described programs in which funding was either nonexistent or difficult to access.

For instance, there is money available in a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program that helps with water transportation and construction of wells in drouth-afflicted areas. But the corps' emergency management chief, Tom Kincheloe, dampened expectations by reading off a long list of requirements states must fulfill first.

"Basically, the message is that this can't be used all the time, but it is something to keep in mind, to keep in your tool kit," Kincheloe said.

A Department of Labor spokeswoman outlined a few programs for people displaced from work because of weather-related disasters.

An Interior Department official named only a few drouth-relief programs it funds. The best, one run by the department's Bureau of Reclamation, had about $234,000 left from appropriations made in 1991 for drouth assistance to states, said the bureau's Great Plains Regional Director, Neil Stessman.

He said no funding requests have been received in at least a year, although that will probably change because of the Albuquerque conference. A representative from Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the senator hoped to find more money for the program.

Bernard Kulik, associate administrator for the Small Business Administration, said the SBA can work more efficiently against drouth repercussions because it deals directly with people rather than with state government agencies.

Teams can be on peoples' doorsteps within seven days of a disaster declaration, he said.

"We've got the program, we have the staff to do it, and we have funding available strictly for disasters," Kulik said.

The SBA has some $400 million in disaster relief remaining through October, he said. That money goes to people who need to rebuild businesses and homes after a disaster — including drouth — is declared in their area.

Kulik cited the Hondo Fire that destroyed about 25 homes and businesses in La Lama, N.M., recently as an example of agency response to a drouth- and fire-related disaster.

Within 30 days of the fire, he said, loans totaling $1.18 million had been approved to rebuild five homes and three businesses.

But for most other disaster help, many state agencies must be prepared to sift through federal red tape.

"You just try to do it on an ad hoc basis and hope you'll get enough to weather the storm," said Boulas of Colorado. "Unfortunately, federal legislation doesn't deal very well with the economic impact of a drouth. If a drouth hits in June, farmers need help in June. If the help comes in September, the people who need it may already be long gone."