It took a sign.

It took a sign. I'm Susan Allen welcome to Washington Ag Today. The anti- ag billboard funded by the EPA that appeared in our state in April has become a pandora's box opening the lid on over 20 million dollars in grants the EPA awarded to the Northwest Fisheries Commission. Apparently a large portion of this EPA money went to a public relations and lobbying firm, Strategies 360for an advocacy campaign in partnership with environmental activists, iIncluding Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and Western Environmental Law Center. Senator Pat Roberts, (RKansas) and chairmen of the Senate Ag Committee was outraged when he learned of the billboard calling it "a bold example of exactly what America's farmers and ranchers complain about all the time: the EPA has an agenda antagonistic to producers," and he wants to make sure that NW farmers and ranchers know he has their interests in mind.

The letter that he and Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) sent to EPA initiated an audit of these Wa state funds and in a hearing late April before the Environment and Public Works Committee, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said they have halted payments to the grant organization due to the concerns the inspector general will be investigating. All the calls from Northwest Farmers and Ranchers moved Senator Roberts to create this message

Roberts: As the Epa attempts to expand its regulatory domination in rural America it's my job as the Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee to protect hard working farmer and ranchers."

Roberts is intent on learning how taxpayer money was used to criticize farmers and promote the agenda of environmental activists."