DEAR SECRETARY'S PERDUE AND VILSACK

Dear Secretary's Perdue and Vilsack, 

I regret not being able to participate in tomorrow's meeting. 
Please take into consideration, the following areas of concern we've learned from Agriculture Producers.

In tomorrow's meeting, it's unlikely you'll hear these concerns from any of the panelists...with exception of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union perhaps.  

Since 1969, when Colorado formed 7 Water Court Districts, "preexisting" water rights have been slowly buried. 

Water Court, a kangaroo court, has become the chief mechanism to steal senior water rights.  

Colorado Water theft is deep, wide, extremely harmful, and seemingly unstoppable. 

Colorado's General Assembly 2018, is not interested in enforcing "preexisting Water Law." 

Given one hour, I would be honored to brief you on the Water situation in Colorado. 

To incentivize Ag producers, these actions need to be implemented. 

1) Economic analysis that would reveal profit and product losses due to "Ag producer's down time dealing with bureaucrats." Analysis would identify duplicate, cruelly unattainable (like augmentation), statute violating regulations -so that they could be eliminated. 

2) Banish Death Tax. 

3) Readjust Ag zoned property taxes whereas assessments would be done upon sale of, not annually. Buyer would pay the assessed value based on their property use determination. Ag zoned property owners should never be penalized due to development by conjoining properties. 

4) Revisit FOIA. Proprietary information should NEVER be given out; in particular by agencies like BLM and Forest Service - because they're strictly "administrative" and NOT biz-partners with property owners on federal lands. Needs to be an "equal information act," whereas the FOIA'd receive equal information about the parties requesting FOIA. 

5) Educate DOI and USDA about the statutes and policies that protect "preexisting rights" of property owners on Federal Land.

6) Recognize that Agriculture producer needs vary vastly...In other words, not all support NAFTA or TPP. Example: In the U.S. Cattle Industry, the Cow-calf producer is a price receiver whose needs are obviously different than the price setter packer. 

7) Educate the public that Ag producers do not hire "illegal" immigrants! 

8) Get the climate debate out in the open. Ag people know, "weather or not it happens." No policy should be made based on climate change.

9) There should be a moratorium placed on Conservation Easements, until which time state and federal's tax assessment disagreement's been settled, and restitution made to parties harmed due to their disagreement. 

10) Urge Governor Hickenlooper to withdraw Colorado from the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP). 

11) Enforce "Just Compensation" to commence the minute a party makes known their want to do something on one's private property.  

There's more, but this is a start. Thank 

Roni Bell Sylvester 

(970) 284-6874