NEWS
Farm Service Agency
Public Affairs Staff
1400 Independence Ave SW
Stop 0506, Room 3624-South
Washington, D.C. 20250-0506
Release No. 1422.05
Stevin Westcott (202) 720-4178
USDA DESIGNATES COUNTIES IN CALIFORNIA, IDAHO AND TEXAS AS
AGRICULTURE DISASTER AREAS
Decision Allows Farmers and Ranchers to Apply for USDA
Assistance
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2005 � The U.S. Department of
Agriculture designated counties in California, Idaho and
Texas as primary agricultural disaster areas.
California
In California the following counties were designated
as primary disaster areas due to drought that occurred
from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing:
Alpine Kings Mendocino Nevada Santa Barbara Tulare
Amador Lake Mono Orange Santa Clara Tuolumne
Calaveras Lassen Monterey Plumas Sierra Yolo
Inyo Mariposa Napa San Benito Sonoma Yuba
Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following:
Alameda Glenn Marin Sacramento San Mateo Sutter
Butte Humboldt Merced San Bernardino Santa Cruz Tehama
Colusa Kern Modoc San Diego Shasta Trinity
El Dorado Los Angeles Placer San Joaquin Solano Ventura
Fresno Madera Riverside San Luis Obispo Stanislaus
Idaho
In Idaho, Adams, Blaine, Camas, Twin Falls and
Washington Counties are designated as primary disaster
areas for drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and
continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Bingham, Butter, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Gem, Gooding,
Idaho, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Power
and Valley Counties.
Clearwater, Lewis and Nez Perce Counties excessive
moisture that occurred from July 15, 2004, through Sept.
1, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Idaho, Latah and Shoshone Counties
Benewah and Kootenai Counties are designated as
primary disaster areas for high winds that occurred from
Aug. 1, 2004 through Sept. 1, 2004. Also eligible because
they are contiguous are Bonner, Latah and Shoshone
Counties.
Texas
In Texas Coleman County is designated as a primary
disaster area for rain and winds that occurred from Oct.
1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are
contiguous are Brown, Callahan, Concho, McCulloch, Runnels
and Taylor Counties.
Gaines County is designated as a primary disaster area
for flooding, winds and lightning that occurred from Sept.
25, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2004. Also eligible because
they are contiguous are Andrews, Dawson, Martin, Terry and
Yoakum Counties.
Robertson County is designated as a primary disaster
area for flooding, hail, winds and a tornado that occurred
on Nov. 23, 2004. Also eligible because they are
contiguous are Brazos, Burleson, Falls, Leon, Limestone,
Madison and Milam Counties.
Hays County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain and flooding that occurred from Oct. 1, 2004, and
continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Blanco, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Travis Counties.
Borden County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain that occurred from Sept. 1, 2004, through Oct.
15, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Dawson, Garza, Howard, Lynn, Martin, Mitchell and Scurry
Counties.
Nolan County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain and flooding that occurred from Oct. 1, 2004, and
continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Coke, Fisher, Jones, Mitchell, Runnels, Scurry and Taylor
Counties.
Dawson County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain that occurred from May 4, 2004, and continuing;
and hail that occurred from June 19, 2004, through Aug.
30, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Borden, Gaines, Howard, Lynn, Martin and Terry Counties.
Erath County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain and flooding that occurred Feb. 24, 2004, and
continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are
Bosque, Comanche, Eastland, Hamilton, Hood, Palo Pinto and
Somevell Counties.
Howard County is designated as a primary disaster area
for rain that occurred Sept. 25, 2004, and continuing; and
hail that occurred on Oct. 22, 2004. Also eligible because
they are contiguous are Borden, Dawson, Glasscock, Martin,
Mitchell, Scurry and Sterling Counties.
These counties were designated on Jan. 19, 2005,
making all qualified farm operators eligible for low-
interest emergency (EM) loans from the Farm Service Agency
(FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers
in eligible counties have eight months from the date of
the declaration to apply for the loans to help cover part
of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan
application on its own merits, taking into account the
extent of losses, security available and repayment
ability. FSA has a variety of programs available, in
addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible
farmers recover from adversity.
USDA has also made other programs available to assist
farmers and ranchers, including the Emergency Conservation
Program, Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop
Disaster Assistance Program.
Interested farmers may contact their local USDA
Service Centers for further information on eligibility
requirements and application procedures for these and
other programs. Additional information is also available
online at: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
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