The Forest Service recently issued final regulations for the grazing permit program, allowing NMSU to expand its range of agricultural mediation services, said Patrick Sullivan, an NMSU agricultural economist who oversees the program. When USDA was reorganized in 1994, new legislation expanded mediation programs. New Mexico is among 22 states that now offer agricultural mediation programs for issues ranging from rural water loans to wetlands designations. NMSU has helped dozens of producers and lenders find ways to settle disputes over agricultural loans, Sullivan said. The university also assists with disagreements over farm program compliance, such as eligibility for the Conservation Reserve Program, a federal effort to remove erosion-prone land from production in exchange for government payments.
Mediation is a process that works, and a process that keeps relationships intact.
Another advantage to mediation is that it typically stays the clock on administrative deadlines, Sullivan said. Even if it fails, participants usually gain a better understanding of the issues involved, he added. If mediation is unsuccessful, producers are still free to pursue a formal appeal through the federal agency or take legal action.