FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2006, 2:00 p.m. CT

(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman has expanded his drought disaster declaration request today following the receipt of additional damage assessment reports compiled by local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. An additional 13 Nebraska counties have been added to the Governor's request for disaster declarations due to ongoing drought.

Gov. Heineman's request for federal agricultural disaster designations from U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns added the following counties: Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Garfield, Howard, Kearney, Keya Paha, Loup, Rock, Sherman, Valley, Webster and Wheeler.

The latest request brings the total number of Nebraska counties eligible for a disaster designation to 49. Requests for the counties of Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Chase, Cheyenne, Cherry, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Grant, Gosper, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Keith, Kimball, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Phelps, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux, and Thomas are currently pending with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"The cumulative effects of seven years of dry weather are clearly showing across Nebraska," Gov. Heineman said. "Crop and livestock production continue to be significantly impacted, and our farmers and ranchers need the additional flexibility that federal assistance provides as they attempt to overcome the challenges of drought."

Damage reports from FSA indicate that the 49 counties in the Governor's combined disaster requests have suffered at least a 30 percent loss in one or more crop or livestock areas. Requests for additional counties are likely as more data becomes available.

A natural disaster designation provides affected producers with access to low-interest loans, tax deferment flexibility and other programs used to mitigate the impact of drought. For current information on drought program availability, visit http://www.droughtcentral.org.

Governor's Request (pdf 72k)