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Governor Jan Brewer Announces Disaster Designation Funding for Those Affected by Wildfires, Flooding and...

Press Release

Date: Aug. 17, 2011
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Issues: Indigenous Peoples Entitlements and the Safety Net Agriculture and Food

Governor Jan Brewer Announces Disaster Designation Funding for Those Affected by Wildfires, Flooding and Drought

Governor Jan Brewer today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has granted her request for a Secretarial disaster designation for Arizona farmers and
ranchers impacted by damaging drought, wildfires and winds this year.

Today's announcement follows a USDA disaster designation granted last month for the San
Carlos Apache Reservation and contiguous counties in northeastern Arizona. The new designation
extends this federal aid to qualifying farmers and ranchers in Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pima counties.
"Farmers and ranchers in rural Arizona are hurting, so I'm appreciative of the USDA's prompt
response to my request for agricultural aid," said Governor Brewer. "Low-interest loans like those
made available by this program will help our agricultural communities pick up the pieces following
what has been a devastating year of drought and wildfire."

Continued dry conditions and high winds this spring and summer resulted in wildfires that
consumed nearly 1 million acres across the state. The hardship for Arizona farmers and ranchers is
real. The USDA declarations today and last month now make assistance available for qualifying farm
operators on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and in Apache, Gila, Graham, Cochise, Greenlee,
Santa Cruz, Navajo, Pima and Pinal counties.

"We're really pleased the Secretary has seen fit to make this declaration for the state," said
Don Butler, Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. "The timing is really important. These
folks are working hard to overcome what Mother Nature dealt. This can help them get back on their
feet."

The USDA disaster designation will allow qualifying farm operators in the affected areas to
receive low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Supplemental
Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months
from the date of a Secretarial disaster designation to apply for emergency loan assistance. Individuals
seeking additional application information can contact their local Farm Service Agency office.


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