U.S. Water News Online
CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Twenty-two of Wyoming's 23 counties have been designated disaster areas due to drought and wildfires, allowing farmers and ranchers to qualify for federal aid, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has announced.
Producers are eligible for low-interest emergency loans and may qualify for certain income tax provisions.
All counties except Teton ``sustained sufficient production losses to warrant a secretarial disaster designation ... as primary natural disaster areas,'' Glickman wrote in a letter to Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer.
Although Teton County was not declared a disaster area, producers in the county are eligible for aid because it a ``contiguous'' disaster county.
The designation covers losses caused from Sept. 1, 1999, ``and continuing.''
``The people of Wyoming continue to experience increased economic hardship due to the continuing drought,'' Geringer said. ``Approval of Wyoming's disaster declaration at the federal level will help alleviate but will not address all economic loss.''
He encouraged agricultural producers to contact Farm Services Agency offices and accountants to see how the federal assistance might help.
Geringer earlier sent a letter to Glickman explaining that drought and wildfires had caused significant losses in all 23 counties.
Return to the U.S. Water News Archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields