After Governor Matt Mead made a request for all Wyoming counties to receive a drought disaster declaration, except Teton County, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, designated a total of eight counties as primary natural disaster areas due to drought, according to the office of Mead.
While eight counties already primary areas, eight more counties qualify for assistances as contiguous to primary counties, and are being reviewed by Vilsack as drought information is being received.
“We are seeing ranchers and sheep producers selling off livestock because of a lack of grass and hay,” Governor Mead said. “Wildfires have burned up pasture land further. It is hard to watch. Drought disaster declarations provide some relief and I will continue to push for all counties in Wyoming to receive assistance because the entire state is impacted in this exceptionally dry year.”
The federal drought disaster declaration makes agricultural operators eligible for some assistance from the Farm Service Agency. The producer does have to meet eligibility requirements and the assistance includes emergency loans. Local Farm Service Agency offices can provide more information to agriculture operators, according to the office of Mead.
The counties that have received primary designation are: Hot Springs, Laramie, Carbon, Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln, Sublette and Fremont. Those that qualify as contiguous counties are: Albany, Natrona, Converse, Platte, Goshen, Washakie, Park and Teton.
