Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback sent a letter Friday to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting the USDA issue a drought disaster declaration for 25 Kansas counties, including Ellis County. This is the Governor’s second drought disaster request this year.
“The impact of production losses caused by drought, wildfires, and high winds in western Kansas is now beginning to be felt by many more Kansas farmers and ranchers across the south central part of our state,” Gov. Brownback said. “An agricultural disaster declaration will make them eligible for emergency loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, as well as any other aid that may be available through the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program approved in the 2008 farm bill.”
The 25 counties included in the Governor’s second request are:
Barber Cowley Gray Lincoln Russell
Barton Edwards Harper Norton Sedgwick
Butler Ellis Harvey Phillips Stafford
Clark Ford Hodgeman Reno Sumner
Comanche Graham Kingman Rice Trego
“Despite the recent precipitation in many areas of the state, beneficial rains have been isolated or have missed the counties included in the Governor’s request,” Kansas Water Office Director, Tracy Streeter said. “In addition to the lack of moisture, excessive temperatures and winds over the past two weeks have compounded the drought conditions in south-central and western Kansas.”
The 21 counties included in the first federal declaration are: Finney, Gove, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita.
Kansas farmers living in the counties under the first federal declaration who believe they may qualify for assistance should contact their local FSA office for further information.