Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have urged federal officials to use more accurate, timely, and science-based measurements in determining whether Oregon farmers and ranchers have access to drought disaster aid programs.  The pair wrote Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue that the U.S. Drought Monitor’s measurement criteria and process for Farm Service Agency disaster programs are unfairly treating Oregonians battling wildfires and water shortages created by prolonged hot, dry weather.  Wyden and Merkley cited as examples of outdated measurements those that only rely on precipitation and lean heavily on reservoir storage and capacity.  They urged the use of newer and better drought metrics that include temperature, “snow drought” or reduced winter mountain snowpack, shutoffs to senior water rights, increased irrigation demand due to extreme temperatures, soil moisture levels, lack of livestock water in pastures, ecological stress on forests, wildfire activity and danger, and streamflows.