Press Release - Expanded Disaster Relief Request
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, AUG. 7, 2008
CONTACT:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER EXPANDS DISASTER REQUEST TO INCLUDE LINCOLN AND WELD COUNTIES
Gov. Bill Ritter today expanded his original July 22 request for federal disaster relief for drought- and freeze-stricken counties to now include Lincoln and Weld counties. He made the request in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer. The letter follows:
August 7, 2008
Honorable Ed Schafer
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
14th and Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Dear Secretary Schafer:
On July 22 of this year I wrote to request emergency disaster designation for 22 Colorado counties due to drought and freezing temperatures. It is now necessary that I expand my request.
Lincoln and Weld counties have been hard hit by drought that has resulted in significant reductions in crop yields, particularly in the growth of native pasture. I hereby request drought disaster designation for these two counties.
In my July 22 request, Otero County was cited as eligible for drought designation. On May 11 of this year, a late spring freeze claimed the entire cantaloupe crop. I now request an additional disaster designation for Otero County due to freezing temperatures this past May.
The rapidly rising cost of farming and ranching is creating financial hardships for too many Colorado producers. Please carefully consider these drought and freeze damage disaster designation requests.
Sincerely,
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor