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Governor Kaine Announces Federal Drought Designations for an Additional 38 Localities
– Requests pending for 11 other localities –

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has granted federal drought disaster status for an additional 38 localities due to reductions in farm production due to drought-like conditions since last summer. The disaster designation makes farmers eligible for low-interest loans and any supplemental relief that may be provided by Congress.

“Since last summer and through the fall, many Virginia farmers have struggled with crop damage and losses caused by drought-like conditions,” said Governor Kaine. “Even though weather conditions have improved, the damage to the crops occurred early in the season. These disaster designations will allow much-needed assistance for many of our farmers.”

The following Virginia counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas due to drought and high temperatures that have occurred beginning June 1, 2005

Virginia Counties Designated Primary Natural Disaster Areas

A – C	D – G	H – M	N – P	Q – Z
Amelia	Dinwiddie	Halifax	Nelson	Scott
Bland	Essex	Isle of Wight	Nottoway	Shenandoah
Brunswick	Floyd	King and Queen	Page	Smyth
Buckingham	Fluvanna	Lee	Patrick	Southampton
Campbell	Franklin	Louisa	Pittsylvania	Tazewell
Charlotte	Frederick	Lunenburg	Powhatan	Wythe
Chesterfield	Giles	Mecklenburg	Prince Edward
Cumberland	Greensville	Montgomery	Pulaski

Farmers in the following contiguous counties also are eligible for federal drought assistance:

Eligible Contiguous Counties

A – Ca	Ch – Ha	He – N	O– R	S – Z
Albemarle	Charles City	Henrico	Orange	Spotsylvania
Amherst	Clarke	Henry	Prince George	Surry
Appomattox	Craig	James City	Rappahannock	Sussex
Augusta	Gloucester	King George	Richmond	Warren
Bedford	Goodhcland	Kind William	Roanoke	Washington
Buchanan	Grayson	Madison	Rockbridge	Westmoreland
Caroline	Greene	Middlesex	Rockingham	Wise
Carroll	Hanover	New Kent	Russell

The following independent cities have also been given contiguous disaster designation:

• Colonial Heights
• Danville
• Emporia
• Franklin
• Hopewell
• Lynchburg
• Newport News
• Petersburg
• Radford
• Richmond
• Suffolk
• Winchester

Requests for federal disaster designations are pending for 11 additional localities: Bedford, Culpeper, Goochland, Grayson, Hanover, King William, Rockbridge, Russell, Surry, Washington, and Wise. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reviewing damage assessment reports for two additional localities, Buchanan and Dickenson.

The disaster declarations make farm operators in both primary and contiguous areas eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provided they meet eligibility requirements. FSA will consider each application on its own merits by taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with additional information.

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