GARDEN CITY, KS – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, to declare 21 Kansas counties agricultural disaster areas as a result of production losses caused by drought, wild fires, and high winds. Sen. Moran’s appeal supports a recent request made by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

“As I travel throughout Kansas, I can see the devastating impact of the drought and wild fires,” Sen. Moran said. “By declaring these counties agricultural disaster areas, farmers and ranchers in the affected counties will become eligible for USDA emergency loans. This assistance will enable agricultural operations to continue across our state, in spite of the exceedingly dry conditions.”

The 21 counties included in Sen. Moran’s request are Finney, Gove, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita.

In addition to his request for disaster designations, Sen. Moran notified Sec. Vilsack of the potential need to approve emergency grazing and haying on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in drought stricken areas. Sen. Moran asked that Sec. Vilsack quickly approve such requests when they arrive to supplement depleted forage sources for livestock producers.

Sen. Moran is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Click here to read the text of the letter.

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