USDA Designates Ag Disaster Counties

WASHINGTON - Feb 14/05 - SNS -- The USDA designated counties in California, Georgia, Idaho, New York and Texas as primary agricultural disaster areas.

In California, Placer, San Joaquin and Ventura Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing.

In Georgia, 32 counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to tropical storms and hurricanes that occurred in 2004. Those counties are:

      Baker	Decatur		Madison		Stewart
      Banks	Dougherty	Miller		Sumter
      Bartow	Early		Mitchell	Terrell
      Calhoun	Fannin		Murray		Thomas
      Catoosa	Franklin	Oconee		Towns
      Clay	Gilmer		Randolph	Union
      Coffee	Grady		Schley		Webster
      Dade	Lee		Seminole	Whitfield

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following Georgia counties:

	Atkinson	Crisp		Jackson		Quitman
	Bacon		Dawson		Jeff Davis	Rabun
	Barrow		Dooly		Lumpkin		Stephens
	Ben Hill	Elbert		Macon		Taylor
	Berrien		Floyd		Marion		Telfair
	Brooks		Gordon		Morgan		Walker
	Chattahoochee	Greene		Oglethorpe	Walton
	Cherokee	Habersham	Paulding	Ware
	Clarke		Hall		Pickens		White
	Cobb		Hart		Polk		Worth
	Colquitt	Irwin

In Idaho, Lincoln County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to losses causes by drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing.

In New York, 24 counties were designated as primary disasters due to rain, hail, flooding, winds, lightening and tornadoes that occurred on various dates from April 1, 2004, and continuing. Those counties are the following:

	Allegany	Lewis		Orleans
	Cattaraugus	Monroe		Saratoga
	Chautauqua	Montgomery	Schuyler
	Columbia	Nassau		Seneca
	Erie		Niagara		Tompkins
	Fulton		Oneida		Washington
	Genesee		Ontario		Wayne
	Greene		Orange		Wyoming

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following New York counties:

	Albany		Livingston	Schoharie
	Cayuga		Madison		St. Lawrence
	Chemung		Oswego		Steuben
	Cortland	Otsego		Suffolk
	Delaware	Putnam		Sullivan
	Dutchess	Queens		Tioga
	Hamilton	Rensselaer	Ulster
	Herkimer	Rockland	Warren
	Jefferson	Schenectady	Yates

Chautauqua and Clinton Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to freezes that occurred from Nov. 1, 2003, through April 15, 2004; and on May 15, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following New York counties: Cattaraugus, Erie, Essex and Franklin.

In Texas, Archer County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain, flooding, winds and lightening that occurred from March 4, 2004, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Baylor, Clay, Jack, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger and Young.

In Texas, Wichita County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain, flooding, winds, lightening and insect damage that occurred from March 4, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Archer, Baylor, Clay and Wilbarger.

In Texas, Scurry County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain, hail, winds and a tornado that occurred from May 1, 2004, through Oct. 31, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Borden, Fisher, Garza, Howard, Kent, Mitchell and Nolan.

In Texas, Carson County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain, snow and flooding that occurred from Nov. 1, 2004, through Nov. 29, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Armstrong, Donley, Gray, Hutchinson, Moore, Potter, Randall and Roberts.

In Texas, Kendall County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain and flooding that occurred from Nov. 1, 2004, throughNov. 23, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Comal, Gillespie and Kerr.

In Texas, Bexar County was designated as a primary natural disaster areadue to rain and flooding that occurred from Nov. 19, 2004, throughNov. 23, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson.

In Texas, Wilbarger County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain that occurred from Nov. 13, 2004, through Nov. 22, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Archer, Baylor, Foard, Hardeman and Wichita.

In Texas, Hudspeth County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain and hail that occurred from Oct. 5, 2004, through Oct. 11, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Culberson, El Paso, Jeff Davis and Presidio.

In Texas, Colorado County was designated as a primary natural disaster area due to rain and flooding that occurred from Nov. 21, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Austin, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca and Wharton.

In Texas, Comal County was designated as a primary natural disaster areadue to rain and flooding that occurred from Oct. 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties: Bexar, Blanco, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall.

In Wisconsin, the following counties were designated as primary naturaldisaster areas due to rain, flooding, dry summer weather and an early frost that occurred from March 18, 2004, through Oct. 8, 2004:

      Calumet	Door		Manitowoc	Milwaukee	Waukesha
      Clark	Kewaunee	Marinette	Oconto		Waupaca

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties:

	Brown		Forest		Outagamie	Taylor
	Chippewa	Jackson		Ozaukee		Walworth
	Dodge		Jefferson	Portage		Washington
	Eau Claire	Langlade	Racine		Waushara
	Florence	Marathon	Shawano		Winnebago
	Fond du Lac	Menominee	Sheboygan	Wood