FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 8, 2005
Contact: Jessica Robinson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Requests Disaster Declaration for Drought Stricken Counties
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt, late Friday, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns requesting he declare 109 Missouri counties natural disaster areas for agricultural loss due to drought.
"I have seen the impact of this drought first hand. It has simply devastated Missouri's agriculture industry. Crops and pastures are scorched and destroyed and Missouri's farm families are facing extreme hardship and loss," Blunt said. "A disaster declaration will not reverse the ruinous effects of the drought, but it will help ensure Missourians have access to all available resources to help surmount these difficulties."
Based on crop damage assessment reports finalized by the USDA Farm Service Agency Blunt requested a natural disaster area be declared in Adair, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Dekalb, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, St Charles, St Clair, St Francois, St Louis County, Ste Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Worth and Wright Counties.
In addition to requesting assessment reports from the Farm Service Agency and following up with a disaster declaration request to Secretary Johanns, Blunt has also activated Missouri's Drought Assessment Committee. The committee compliments the work of the Farm Service Agency and examines several drought indicators along with agricultural impact to establish drought alert levels for the state. The committee's drought status map is available online at www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/droughtupdate.htm.
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