U.S. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE APPROVES VOG-RELATED DISASTER DESIGNATION FOR HAWAI`I COUNTY
For Immediate Release: July 30, 2008
HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle announced today that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer has approved her June 20, 2008 request for a disaster designation for Hawai‘i County due to losses from volcanic emissions that have been ongoing since March 12, 2008.
The disaster declaration by the Secretary makes farm operators in Hawai‘i County eligible to be considered for low-interest loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The FSA will consider each application on its own merit by taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. The Secretary designated Hawai‘i County as a primary natural disaster area.
Based on the loss assessment report from state and county agencies along with additional information submitted by the FSA, the USDA determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial disaster designation.
“We appreciate the prompt response from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the recognition of the impact vog emissions have had on our agriculture sector on the Big Island,” said Governor Lingle. “The State will continue to work with the federal government, the county, and the agriculture community to assist our farmers.”
Vog damage has occurred to agriculture, especially protea and other flower crops in the areas of Oceanview Estate, Wood Valley, Pahala and Ka‘u. Damage has also been reported in some coffee and macadamia nut fields.
Livestock operations have experienced some eye irritation in cattle. However, more significant damage is being observed in the accelerated deterioration of galvanized fencing, gates, pipelines and other infrastructure.
“Our interagency task force is also continuing environmental health risk analysis and assessment of vog, including strategies to mitigate the effects,” added the Governor.
For more information, contact:
Hawai‘i County Farm Service Agency
154 Waianuenue Ave., Room 322
Hilo, HI 96720-2452
Phone: (808) 933-8381 ext. 2
Web site: http://www.fsa.usda.gov
Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Loan Division - Hilo Office
16 East Lanikaula Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 974-4140
Web site: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/agl/agricultural-loan-division
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For more information, contact:
Sandra Lee Kunimoto
Chair, Board of Agriculture
Phone: (808) 973-9550
Major General Robert Lee
State Adjutant General
Phone: (808) 733-4246
Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708
Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043
