Governor asks for federal drought declaration for 14 counties

YAKIMA, Wash. — Gov. Christine Gregoire today asked the federal government to designate 14 Washington counties as farm disaster areas as a result of the severe drought conditions this year.

She is seeking such assistance for 17 of Washington's 39 counties in all — an earlier request involving three counties is still under review.

The request opens the door for possible low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency and the federal Small Business Administration for farmers and other agricultural businesses hardest hit by the drought.

Dean Boyer, spokesman for the Washington State Farm Bureau, said the move was good news for farmers in that it opens two new avenues of assistance. But how many farmers and ranchers will look to borrow more money during a severe drought remains in question, he said.

"Even though the loans are low interest, it's a difficult decision on the part of a farmer to go further into debt when their source of income has literally dried up," Boyer said. "Certainly, there will be some farmers and ag-related businesses for which this will be very welcome relief. But it's difficult to immediately say how many farmers and ranchers will take advantage of these opportunities."

Last month, Gregoire sought a disaster declaration for Garfield, Whitman and Pacific counties in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. The agency is still considering that request. In a letter to Johanns on Friday, Gregoire requested the same declaration for an additional 14 counties.

"Our farmers need help to recover from their economic losses and begin to replant for next season," Gregoire said in a news release. "More Washingtonians are employed by agriculture than any other industry in this state. This is about our economic vitality. We need to provide the assistant and support to help folks pull through."

Washington crops were worth $5.75 billion in 2003, the latest year for which figures were available.

Gregoire declared a statewide drought emergency in March based on the extremely low snow pack in the mountains and record-low flows in rivers across the state. About $12 million was set aside to buy water, improve wells and finance various water-supply projects.

Some farmers cut back significantly on planting several crops, including wheat and hay, and the Agriculture Department predicted the drought would result in reduced farm income this year.

In the hard-hit Yakima Valley, some irrigators with interruptible water rights have received less than one-third of their average supply of water. Even some irrigators with senior rights, which typically are not interruptible, have had their water reduced.

"There are many people who haven't got anything left," said Tom Carpenter, an orchardist near Granger, about 20 miles southeast of Yakima.

Still harvesting some of his apple orchards, Carpenter had not yet determined his losses for the year. But a neighbor left 30 percent of his 250 acres idle and still had to buy additional water to sustain the crops he planted, Carpenter said.

"We certainly have taken a lick," Carpenter said. "Any time you leave land idle in order to have enough water to cover your other crops, you're going to see losses."

If approved, the drought declaration would provide low-interest Farm Service Agency loans to cover production and farm property losses to farmers in the affected counties. The Small Business Administration also would declare an associated economic injury disaster and provide low-interest loans to other businesses affected by the crop losses, the release from the governor's office said.

"It isn't enough just to pray for rain," Gregoire said. "These are the times when our farmers need the full support of the state and federal government. We depend on them for every meal we eat and now, because of the drought, they are depending on us."

The counties included in the governor's latest request were Benton, Chelan, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla and Yakima.