The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has designated 18 counties as primary natural disaster areas and 31 as contiguous disaster areas, making farmers and ranchers in those counties eligible to be considered for emergency loans to help recover and rebuild from the extensive damage caused by this summer’s heavy precipitation and flooding

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, John Kline, Michele Bachmann, Keith Ellison, Tim Walz, Erik Paulsen, and Rick Nolan today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a disaster declaration for 49 counties in Minnesota, allowing them to be considered for emergency assistance. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has designated 18 counties as primary natural disaster areas, making farmers and ranchers in those counties eligible to be considered for emergency loans to help recover and rebuild from the extensive damage caused by heavy precipitation and flooding. Thirty-one additional counties were designated as contiguous disaster areas, and producers in those counties will also be eligible for emergency credit.

The following counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas: Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Grant, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pennington, Pine, Todd, and Wright.

The following counties have been designated as contiguous disaster counties: Beltrami, Blue Earth, Carlton, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, St. Louis, Douglas, Itasca, McLeod, Marshall, Meeker, Nicollet, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Stevens, Dakota, Traverse, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Wilkin, and Otter Tail.

In July, the USDA declared Rock County as a primary natural disaster area and Murray, Nobles and Pipestone counties as contiguous disaster areas.

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