USDA grants Gov. Branstad’s request for Secretarial disaster designation
State of Iowa Seal
(DES MOINES) – The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) today granted Gov. Branstad’s request for a Secretarial disaster designation. The declaration applies to 27 Iowa counties that were affected by severe storms, excessive rain, flooding, flash flooding, hail, high winds, lightning, tornadoes, landslides, mudslides, excessive heat and drought during the 2011 crop year. Thirty-three contiguous counties are also covered by the designation.
A copy of the letter from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack can be found here: https://governor.iowa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Iowa-Disaster-Letter-10-12-11.pdf
The 27 counties included in this declaration are:
Clarke, Jones, Mahaska, Montgomery, Van Buren, Davis, Keokuk, Marshall, Page, Wapello, Decatur, Lee, Mills, Polk, Washington, Fremont, Linn, Monona, Tama, Wayne, Henry, Louisa, Monroe, Taylor, Woodbury, Jefferson, Lucas
In accordance with section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, an additional 33 counties were named as contiguous disaster counties. Those counties are:
Adams, Cedar, Dubuque, Jasper, Pottawattamie, Appanoose, Cherokee, Grundy, Johnson, Poweshiek, Benton, Clinton, Hardin, Madison, Ringgold, Black Hawk, Crawford, Harrison, Marion, Story, Boone, Dallas, Ida, Muscatine, Union, Buchanan, Delaware, Iowa, Plymouth, Warren, Cass, Des Moines, Jackson
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operations in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Disaster assistance includes FSA emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program.
Farmers in the eligible counties have eight months from the date of Secretarial disaster declaration, October 12, 2011, to apply for emergency loan assistance. SURE Program applications for 2011 crop losses will be accepted in 2012, when the 2011 farm revenue data required by statute becomes available.
Farmers looking for more information are encouraged to visit their local FSA offices.
