USDA Designates Glacier County in Montana as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture'sFarm Service Agency issued the following emergency designation news release:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Glacier County in Montana, which includes the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by several severe storms and hail that occurred June 18 - Sept. 30, 2013.

"Our hearts go out to those Montana farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation's economy by sustaining the successes of America's farmers, ranchers and rural communities through these difficult times. We're also telling Montana producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood."

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Montana also qualify for natural disaster assistance because the county is contiguous. The counties are:

* Flathead

* Pondera

* Toole

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Nov. 27, 2013, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA'sFarm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for 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, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, Federal Crop Insurance, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA 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.

Secretary Vilsack also reminds producers that Congress has not funded the five disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.These are SURE; the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Production losses due to disasters occurring after Sept. 30, 2011, are not eligible for disaster program coverage.

FSA news releases are available on FSA's website at www.fsa.usda.gov via the "Newsroom" link.

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