USDA Designates 4 Counties in Idaho as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
With Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2014 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Bear Lake, Boundary, Fremont and Madison counties in Idaho as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain that occurred from July 16, 2014, through September 21, 2014.
“Our hearts go out to those Idaho farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling Idaho producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”
Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Idaho also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:
Bonner
Caribou
Franklin
Teton
Bonneville
Clark
Jefferson
Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:
Montana
Beaverhead, Gallatin, Lincoln and Madison
Utah
Cache and Rich
Washington
Pend Oreille
Wyoming
Lincoln and Teton
All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 19, 2014, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s 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 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, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.
Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, The Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree 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.
FSA news releases are available on FSA’s website at www.fsa.usda.gov via the “Newsroom” link.
#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
