USDA DESIGNATES COUNTIES IN KANSAS, MICHIGAN, OREGON, SOUTH DAKOTA AND TENNESSEE AS AGRICULTURE DISASTER AREAS Media Contact: Latawnya Dia (202) 720-7962

NEWS Farm Service Agency Public Affairs Staff 1400 Independence Ave SW Stop 0506, Room 3624-South Washington, D.C. 20250-0506 Release No. 1429.04 Latawyna Dia (202) 720-7962 USDA DESIGNATES COUNTIES IN KANSAS, MICHIGAN, OREGON, SOUTH DAKOTA AND TENNESSEE AS AGRICULTURE DISASTER AREAS Decision Allows Farmers and Ranchers to Apply for USDA Assistance WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2004 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated counties in Kansas, Michigan, Oregon, South Dakota and Tennessee as primary agricultural disaster areas. Kansas Eighty-one counties in Kansas are designated as primary disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought, wind and insect infestation that occurred from Jan. 1, 2003, and continuing. These counties are: Allen Elk Kearny Ness Saline Anderson Ellsworth Kingman Norton Scott Atchison Finney Kiowa Osage Sheridan Barber Ford Lane Osborne Sherman Barton Franklin Leavenworth Ottawa Smith Bourbon Geary Lincoln Pawnee Stafford Chautauqua Gove Linn Phillips Stanton Cheyenne Graham Logan Pottawatomie Thomas Clay Grant Lyon Pratt Trego Cloud Gray Marshall Rawlins Wallace Coffey Hamilton McPherson Reno Washington Crawford Harper Meade Republic Waubaunsee Decatur Haskell Miami Rice Wyandotte Dickinson Hodgeman Mitchell Riley Doniphan Jefferson Morris Rooks Douglas Jewell Nemaha Rush Edwards Johnson Neosho Russell Also eligible because they are contiguous are the counties of: Brown Cowley Jackson Shawnee Butler Greenwood Marion Stevens Chase Harvey Montgomery Sumner Cherokee Ellis Morton Wichita Clark Labette Sedgwick Wilson Comanche Greeley Seward Woodson Michigan Seventy-five counties in Michigan are designated as primary disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred from July 1, 2003, and continuing. These counties are: Alcona Chippewa Ionia Manistee Osceola Alger Clare Iosco Marquette Otsego Allegan Clinton Iron Mason Ottawa Alpena Delta Isabella Mecosta Presque Isle Antrim Dickinson Jackson Menominee Saginaw Arenac Eaton Kalamazoo Midland Sanilac Baraga Emmet Kalkaska Missaukee Schoolcraft Barry Genesee Kent Montcalm Shiawassee Bay Gladwin Keweenaw Montmorency St. Clair Benzie Gogebic Lapeer Muskegon St. Joseph Berrien Grand Traverse Leelanau Newaygo Tuscola Calhoun Gratiot Livingston Oakland Van Buren Cass Houghton Luce Oceana Washtenaw Charlevoix Huron Mackinac Ogemaw Wayne Cheboygan Ingham Macomb Ontonagon Wexford Also eligible because they are contiguous are the counties of: Branch Hillsdale Lenawee Oscoda Crawford Lake Monroe Roscommon Due to damages and losses suffered from freezing rain and periods of abnormally warm weather, followed by very low temperatures that occurred from Feb. 28, 2003, through July 21, 2003; and heavy rains, hail and winds that occurred from May 7, 2003, through July 21, 2003, the following counties are designated as primary disaster areas: Allegan Hillsdale Leelanau Muskegon Antrim Huron Livingston Newaygo Benzie Ingham Macomb Oceana Berrien Ionia Manistee Otsego Cass Iron Mason Ottawa Charlevoix Isabella Menominee St. Clair Dickinson Kalamazoo Monroe Van Buren Grand Traverse Kent Montcalm Wexford Also eligible because they are contiguous are the counties of: Baraba Easton Lake Ontonagon Barry Emmet Lapeer Osceola Branch Genesee Lenawee Oscoda Calhoun Gladwin Marquette Sanilac Cheboygan Gogebic Mecosta Shiawassec Clare Gratiot Midland St. Joseph Clinton Houghton Missaukee Tuscola Crawford Jackson Montmorency Washtenaw Delta Kalkraska Oakland Wayne Due to damage and losses caused by hail, winds and rain during storms that occurred between Aug. 1, 2003, and Sept. 22, 2003, nine counties are designated as primary natural disaster areas. These counties are: Antrim Jackson Muskegon Calhoun Kent Newaygo Ingharn Mason Ottawa Also eligible because they are contiguous are the counties of: Allegan Eaton Lake Oceana Barry Grand Traverse Lenawee Osceola Branch Hillsdale Livingston Otsego Charlevoix Ionia Manistee Shiawassee Clinton Kalamazoo Mecosta St. Joseph Crawford Kalkaska Montcalm Washtenaw Oregon In Oregon, Sherman and Wallowa Counties are designated as primary disaster areas due to drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2003, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are the counties of Baker, Gilliam, Umatilla, Union and Wasco Counties. South Dakota Aurora and Clark Counties in South Dakota are designated as primary disaster areas due to heat and below normal precipitation, fires, winds and severe storms that occurred from Jan. 1, 2003, and continuing. Also eligible because it is contiguous is Davison County. Tennessee Eleven Tennessee counties are designated as primary disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain. These counties are: Carter Jefferson Montgomery Unicoi Hancock Johnson Sullivan Washington Hawkins Macon Trousdale Also eligible because the are contiguous are the following counties: Cheatham Grainger Knox Sumner Claiborne Greene Robertson Wilson Clay Hamblen Sevier Cocke Houston Smith Dickson Jackson Stewart These counties were designated on Jan. 23, 2004, making all qualified farm operators eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from the 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 the 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 available, in addition to the emergency loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. USDA has also made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local FSA 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. # NOTE: Farm Service Agency (FSA) news releases and media advisories are available on the Web at FSA(s home page: http://www.fsa.usda.gov.