Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, called on Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns to designate Wyoming counties as drought disaster areas in September. Today that call is being answered and all counties in Wyoming will receive drought designations.
"These drought designations are very crucial to Wyoming. These designations will enable farmers and ranchers across the entire state to apply for low-interest emergency loans," Enzi said. "Drought is not always seen as a natural disaster like hurricanes, but in Wyoming this is a very real disaster."
In an Oct. 12 letter to the state of Wyoming, USDA Secretary Johanns determined that 17 counties in Wyoming that suffered sufficient production losses, will be designated as primary natural disaster areas. The other six Wyoming counties have been named as contiguous disaster counties. The designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for low interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The primary counties are: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Goshen, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater and Uinta. The contiguous disaster counties are Crook, Fremont, Niobrara, Teton, Washakie and Weston.
In a letter to Secretary Johanns on Sept. 20, Enzi reiterated the state government’s request for the designation that would make farmers and ranchers in eligible counties for the low-interest emergency loans from the FSA. Eligibility for an FSA loan is based on the extent of loss, security available and repayment availability from farmers and ranchers within designated drought areas.
When Congress reconvenes Enzi is hopeful that a bill that he cosponsored, S. 3991, will pass before the end of the session. The bill would provide $4.9 billion in emergency disaster assistance to agriculture producers for 2005 and 2006, including those producers suffering from drought.
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