U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman briefs Utah senators on USDA programs and rural priorities

The Utah Senate resolved into a Committee of the Whole on Feb. 28, 2000, to hear U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman. Secretary Glickman described the Department of Agriculture's major programs affecting Utah: a large Forest Service presence, federal nutrition programs (including food stamps and the National School Lunch Program), food-safety inspection, and a rural development portfolio of loans and grants for water, sewer, business and hospital projects. He stressed leveraging federal dollars with state and private funds for broadband, telemedicine and distance learning in rural communities.

Glickman invited questions and engaged in an extended Q&A with senators. He said most U.S. farms remain family-operated though many are larger, and acknowledged concentration in some livestock sectors. In response to concerns about insects and invasive species affecting western agriculture, he said the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has funding to address pests and emphasized the need for stronger border inspection and eradication efforts to protect U.S. agriculture. Senators thanked the secretary for prompt USDA responses on pest outbreaks and for ongoing support for rural infrastructure projects.

The Secretary's appearance provided Utah lawmakers a federal perspective on resources and programs they might leverage for rural development and agricultural protection; the exchange was framed as informational rather than legislative and no formal action resulted from the appearance.