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BRIEFINGS, REPORTS, & REVIEWS

Reports

A Wake Up Call From An American Rancher

Capital Press posted a guest editorial written by Family Farm Alliance President Patrick O’Toole, a Wyoming rancher, which outlines the importance of food security, and how that critical strategic national priority is now often taken for granted by the American...

2021 Accomplishments & Activities Report

This report outlines and highlights the many accomplishments and activities of the Family Farm Alliance in 2021. The annual report is disseminated to our annual conference attendees each year. Thanks to our conference sponsors and report advertisers that made this...

2020 Accomplishments & Activities Report

This report outlines and highlights the many accomplishments and activities of the Family Farm Alliance in 2020. The annual report is disseminated to our annual conference attendees each year. Thanks to our conference sponsors and report advertisers that made this...

Final Report on Perceptions of Demand Management in Western Colorado

The Nature Conservancy has commissioned a report exploring the perceptions of demand management on Colorado's West Slope. It is intended to help shed light on the social/cultural issues that surround demand management in order to help everyone engaged in the...

“Western Farmers and Ranchers as Problem Solvers” (2016)

The Family Farm Alliance on March 22, 2016 participated in the White House Water Summit to raise awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States, and to catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future through...

“The Argument for the Prior Appropriation Doctrine to Allocate Water in the Western U.S.”

This paper, prepared with input from water managers and attorneys from throughout the West, counters common criticisms to the Western water rights system and explains why the prior appropriation doctrine....works.

“Colorado River Basin Water Management – Principles and Recommendations” (2015)

Developed over an 18-month period with input from irrigators in all the Colorado River Basin states, this reportarticulates our principles for smart, effective management of water resources in the Colorado River Basin to help decision-makers in the Basin deal with the...

The Economic Importance of Western Irrigated Agriculture

Developed by the Pacific Northwest Project for the Family Farm Alliance, this report describes the remarkable contributions Western irrigated agriculture makes to the national economy, household income, and the ability for U.S. consumers to pay less of their...

“A Road Map Towards Securing the Future of Western Irrigated Agriculture” (2015)

This brief, hard-hitting report was widely circulated to policy makers in Washington, D.C. and Western states as a policy guide for the new Congress in January 2015.

“Innovations in Agricultural Stewardship: Stories of Conservation & Drought Resilience in t

Co-authored with the National Young Farmers Coalition and completed with funding support from the Walton Family Foundation, this report investigates how family farm and ranch operations in the West are finding unique solutions to save water and improve soil health.

“The 2014 Drought and Water Management Policy Impacts on California’s Central Valley Food P

The California drought is not simply the result of Mother Nature or climate change. Recent federal management of Bay-Delta water and the policies behind that management also play an important role. Written by Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen and Dr. Tricia...

“Securing the Future of Western Agriculture – the Perspective of Western Producers”, (2014

Published in cooperation with AGree, a national agricultural think tank consisting of diverse experts who seek to develop shared strategies for achieving transformative change, this report - authored by Alliance President Pat O'Toole (a Wyoming rancher who sits on the...

“Twenty Questions on Water Storage Projects: A White Paper that Provides Straightforward Answer

This report provides answers to any question you may have regarding water storage projects, and takes on some of the most popular myths that critics of dams have advanced in recent years.

“Endangered Species Act Implementation in the Western U.S. – Looking for Answers to Modernize a

Current implementation and litigation surrounding the federal Endangered Species Act is perhaps the primary challenge facing Western water users. This report provides detailed background and specific recommendations on how to make this 40-plus year old law really work...

“Western Water Management Case Studies (2010)

Sometimes, real-life examples provide the best stories of how successful water policy should be fashioned and implemented. This report shows how individual farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts are tackling tough water challenges throughout the Western U.S.

March 2023 “Monthly Briefing” Now Available!

2023 Conference Sets New Attendance Record Hundreds Make the Trip to Reno, Despite West-wide Winter Storms The Family Farm Alliance held its 2023 annual conference at the Silver Legacy in Reno, Nevada starting on Thursday, February 23, 2023. While travelers...

February 2023 “Monthly Briefing” Available

2023-02 Monthly Briefing FebruaryDownload

January 2023 “Monthly Briefing” Now Available!

2023-01 Monthly Briefing JanuaryDownload

Water Review: Restoring the Salton Sea

An Ambitious Plan to Restore the Salton Sea Imperial Irrigation District, County Launch Joint Effort The September 2015 Family Farm "Water Review" discusses Imperial Irrigation District's efforts to restore California's Salton Sea. In taking the next steps to avert...

The Alliance Appears in New York Times Climate Story

Family Farm Alliance executive director Dan Keppen was interviewed for a story on climate legislation currently being considered before the U.S. Congress.

Colorado River Water & Tribes Initiative: New Report on Causes of Clean Water Access Deficits

WTI-Report-Press-Release-4-28-2021Download

Grim 2021 Outlook for Western Irrigators

Drought Underscores the Importance of Protecting Western Agriculture A rare "Joint Statement" was issued yesterday from U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in response to the worsening drought conditions in the West.“Our...