Members of the Cheyenne Frontier FFA Agricultural Issues Forum team pose with Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso in front of the United States Capitol.
Against the backdrop of Washington, D.C.’s marble halls and formal proceedings, a group of local agricultural education students and FFA members brought a fresh perspective on the issue of pesticide use and its impacts on endangered species and agricultural productivity to federal leaders — a perspective seldom heard firsthand amongst our nation’s decision-makers.
Wyoming Ag Issues Team Advocates in D.C.
Seven students, who represented East High School and the Cheyenne Frontier FFA Chapter in Wyoming, traveled to the nation’s capital earlier this month as a part of an effort to educate and advocate through the agricultural issues forum. This forum is a leadership development event (LDE) provided by the National FFA Organization that challenges students to research a key issue within the agriculture industry and represent the diverse and nuanced opinions on the topic.
Members of the Cheyenne Frontier FFA team began researching their topic over a year ago. Their chosen focus was federal pesticide regulations.
“[Our] presentation really analyzes the interaction between the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA),” says Regan Allen, the team’s moderator. “We have prepared a 15-minute presentation, or skit, and in the presentation we cannot come to a conclusion.”
Members pose with Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (far left) in the meeting room of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
The team portrays individuals from a variety of industries and with differing perspectives, including lawyers, agency personnel, scientists and farmers. Allen portrayed Congressional Representative Harriet Hageman, whom the team interviewed personally.
Within their brief presentation, team members must represent facts and perspectives faithfully, but it’s up to the audience to draw conclusions based on the information provided. Most recently, that audience consisted of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Department of Interior — some of the most powerful and influential people in the nation with connections to the team’s issue.
A Multi-Faceted Issue
“Pesticides are a vital tool for agricultural productivity, especially here in Wyoming,” says Danielle Mehtala, who portrays a field office supervisor with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the skit. “However, they can cause harm to the environment and endangered species if not properly managed.”
The problem is that FIFRA, the federal legislation that manages pesticide use, was recently deemed as insufficient to properly mitigate species harm or meet the standard of “no adverse impact” established by the ESA.
Although that might sound like a lot of technical terminology, it makes sense to members of the agricultural issues forum team and federal policy makers. It inspired the purpose of the team’s trip to Washington, D.C., to learn directly from federal leaders, while also educating them with the perspective of Wyoming’s next generation of agriculturists.
In addition to learning more about the regulatory framework surrounding pesticide use, members experienced once-in-a-lifetime tours, including a climb to the top of the Washington Monument and a visit to the dome of the Capitol Building.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
The trip was organized by Karen Budd-Falen, the team’s coach and current associate deputy secretary of the interior. Budd-Falen, who also co-owns Budd-Falen Law Offices, used her expertise and connections to give these students an unparalleled experience.
She facilitated meetings with Congresswoman Harriet Hageman and Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, and also arranged for the team to present at both the Department of Interior and the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Members stand in the office of the Majority Whip, Senator John Barrasso.
“We learned so much through traveling to D.C. and presenting our issue to national leaders,” says Alex Micheli, team member playing Budd-Falen in the presentation.
In addition to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Department of Interior, the team shared their work with leaders from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal professionals. They did this in preparation for the upcoming 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, which will be held in Indianapolis and where they will compete as representatives of Wyoming FFA on the national stage.
