USDA Designates Six Idaho Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Because of the ongoing drought, the USDA announced Tuesday that six Idaho counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas. Those counties include Caribou, Clark, Lemhi, Owyhee, Twin Falls and Valley.

However, several contiguous counties are also eligible, including: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Boise, Bonneville, Butte, Canyon, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome as well as Malheur in Oregon.

USDA says this designation extends much-needed emergency credit to producers via emergency loans. Those emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

For questions, or specific details, visit your local USDA Service Center.

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