USDA Designates Ag Disaster Counties

KANSAS CITY - Feb 22/06 - SNS -- The USDA designated counties in Connecticut, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin as primary natural disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The entire state of Connecticut has been designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought that occurred from June 1, 2005, through Oct. 15, 2005.

In New York, seven counties were designated as primary disaster areas.

Broome and Delaware Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by drought and heat that occurred from May 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Essex and Franklin Counties.

Ontario County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from Sept. 15, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Livingston, Monroe, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates Counties.

Clinton County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by high winds that occurred from Oct. 6, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Essex and Franklin Counties.

Clinton and Essex Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain and snow that occurred on Oct. 25, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and Washington Counties.

Franklin County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from Oct. 7, 2005, through Oct. 24, 2005; and a freeze that occurred from Oct. 20, 2005, through Oct. 22, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Clinton, Essex, Hamilton and St. Lawrence Counties.

Monroe County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from Sept. 1, 2005, through Oct. 31, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne Counties.

In Tennessee, eight counties were designated as primary disaster areas.

Bradley, Cumberland, De Kalb, Johnson, Macon, Polk, Trousdale and Warren Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by drought and above normal temperatures that occurred from May 1, 2005, and continuing.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are the following counties:

Bledsoe      Grundy       Morgan       Sullivan
Cannon       Hamilton     Putnam       Sumner
Carter       Jackson      Rhea         Van Buren
Clay         McMinn       Roane        White
Coffee       Meigs        Sequatchie   Wilson
Fentress     Monroe       Smith

Bradley and Polk Counties were designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by the cumulative impact of hurricane-related winds and additional storm damage that occurred from Aug. 29, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2005.

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs and Monroe Counties.

In Tennessee, five counties were designated as primary disaster areas.

Cherokee County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought and frost that occurred from March 1, 2005, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Anderson, Angelina, Henderson, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rusk and Smith Counties.

Cooke County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by fire that occurred from Dec. 27, 2005. Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Denton, Grayson, Montague and Wise Counties.

Fayette County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought that occurred from April 15, 2005, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Austin, Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Gonzales, Lavaca, Lee and Washington Counties.

Lavaca County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought, excessive temperature and high winds that occurred from Sept. 13, 2005, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Jackson and Victoria Counties.

Palo Pinto County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by high winds and wildfire that occurred on Jan. 1, 2006. Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Eastland, Erath, Hood, Jack, Parker, Stephen and Young Counties.

Rusk County was designated as a primary disaster area due to losses caused by drought that occurred from March 1, 2005, and continuing

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Gonzales, Jackson and Victoria Counties.

In Wisconsin, 18 counties were designated as primary disaster areas.

Due to losses caused by drought that occurred from March 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2005, the following counties have been designated as primary disaster areas:

Adams        Fond du Lac  Oconto       Sullivan
Brown        Kenosha      Racine       Sumner
Burnett      Kewaunee     Sheboygan    Van Buren
Calumet      Manitowoc    Walworth     White
Dodge        Marinette    Washburn     Wilson
Door         Marquette    Waupaca

Also eligible because they are contiguous and have sustained production losses due to the same disaster conditions are the following counties:

Barron       Green Lake   Outagamie    Sawyer
Bayfield     Jefferson    Ozaukee      Shawano
Columbia     Juneau       Polk         Washington
Dane         Langlade     Portage      Waukesha
Douglas      Marathon     Rock         Waushara
Florence     Menominee    Rusk         Winnebago
Forest       Milwaukee    Sauk         Wood