USDA Designates A Disaster Areas

WASHINGTON - Mar 3/05 - SNS -- The USDA designated counties in California and New York as primary agricultural disaster areas.

In California, Marin County was designated as a primary disaster area due to rain, winds, excessive heat and unseasonable winds that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because it is contiguous is Sonoma County.

San Luis Obispo County was designated as a primary disaster area due to heat and subsequent fruit drop that occurred from April 23, 2004, through Aug. 25, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Kern, Kings, Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties.

Humboldt County was designated as a primary disaster area due to drought that occurred from March 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Del Norte, Mendocino, Siskiyou and Trinity Counties.

Solano County was designated as a primary disaster area due to warm spring temperatures and dry north winds that occurred from March 1, 2004, through Sept. 23, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Contra Costa, Napa, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties.

In New York, Herkimer, Ontario and Otsego Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to rain and flooding that occurred on various dates from May 1, 2004, through Oct. 10, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Hamilton, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Oneida, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Wayne and Yates Counties.