Sens. Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer introduced the FENCE Act on Tuesday, which would allow federal emergency funds to cover virtual fencing. Ricketts said it could give farmers and ranchers affected by wildfires another recovery option.
“We listened to farmers and ranchers to hear more about how we can best assist their recovery and rebuilding efforts. A top concern was the need for greater flexibility – not red tape – during recovery,” Ricketts said.
Nebraska’s March wildfires burned more than 800,000 acres, taking costly farm and ranch fencing down amid the destruction of grasslands and farm buildings. Replacing just one mile of barbed wire fencing can cost at least $10,000, according to Iowa State University Extension estimates.
Co-introducers of the FENCE Act —or Fencing Eligibility for New Conservation Equipment Act – also included Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Michael Bennet of Colorado.
“Colorado ranchers have endured years of challenges, particularly as wildfires grow more frequent across the West,” Bennet said. “We need to give farmers and ranchers the tools to navigate changing conditions, adopt new technologies, and build resilient operations. This bill provides the flexibility ranchers need to recover in ways that work best for them.”
The bill would expand how farmers and ranchers can use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funds. The bill itself simply adds a few lines of text to a 1978 law, allowing for “new and emerging technologies.”
Virtual fencing uses GPS-enabled collars to guide animals within a set area through electrical pulses and sounds.
Because the boundaries of virtual fencing can be changed, the USDA’s Northwest Climate Hub said it can help ranchers adapt to “variable conditions” caused by climate change, adjust grazing areas and freely move livestock. It can also be used in areas where it would be difficult to build fences, or where wildlife would be impacted.
During wildfires, virtual fencing allows for animals to be moved quickly, and ranchers can choose new grazing areas if fences are damaged.
However, the cost of implementation can be high. Collars are typically $50 each, and setup for communication towers that connect to the collars costs about $10,000 each, according to a Forest Service report on a New Mexico virtual fencing project.
Ranch and herd size also impacts the cost per acre and animal, which may affect a rancher’s choice to invest.
Under the bill, updates with these “new and emerging technologies” can only be performed if they don’t increase the repair and replacement cost.
In a press release, Fischer said the bill would provide “flexibility” in disaster assistance.
“This legislation opens the door for producers to use new technology, like virtual fencing, to replace their damaged or lost fence lines after disasters strike,” Fischer said. “This would be a great opportunity for farmers and ranchers to seize if it makes sense for their operation.”
Ricketts said he believes the bill is a common sense, bipartisan measure.
“I think that this should be something that should be fairly non-controversial – to give our farmers and ranchers more options with regard to how they manage their livestock,” he said. “Especially as we're looking to recover from these terrible wildfires that we are continuing still in the state to experience.”
He has hopes of attaching the FENCE Act to the Farm Bill, which is making its way through the Senate following approval by the House.