USDA Designates 17 Montana Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2020 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 17 Montana counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to recent weather events may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

These natural disaster designations allow FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. 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.

Excessive Moisture – August 2019 through October 2019

Producers in McCone, Richland, Roosevelt, and Wibaux counties, who suffered losses due to excessive moisture that occurred Aug. 10, 2019, through Oct. 31, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Prairie, Sheridan, and Valley, along with Golden Valley, McKenzie, and Williams counties in North Dakota, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Moisture and Snow – June 2019 through December 2019

Producers in Daniels, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, and Valley counties, who suffered losses due to excessive moisture and excessive snow that occurred June 20, 2019, through Dec. 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Big Horn, Custer, Garfield, McCone, Musselshell, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Roosevelt, and Yellowstone, along with Divide and Williams counties in North Dakota, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Moisture, Excessive Snow and Freeze – September 2019 through November 2019

Producers in Dawson County who suffered losses due to excessive moisture, excessive snow, and freeze that occurred between Sept. 1, 2019, through Nov. 12, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of McCone, Prairie, Richland, and Wibaux are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Moisture, Excessive Snow, Hail, and High Winds – August 2019 through November 2019

Producers in Prairie County who suffered losses due to excessive moisture, excessive snow, hail, and high winds that occurred between Aug. 15, 2019, through Nov. 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Wibaux are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Blizzard and Excessive Snow – September 2019 through October 2019

Producers in Toole County who suffered losses due to a blizzard and excessive snow that occurred between Sept. 28, 2019, through Oct. 9, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Glacier, Liberty, and Pondera are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Blizzard, Excessive Snow, Extreme Cold, Freeze, High Winds – September 2019 through October 2019

Producers in Glacier and Teton counties who suffered losses due to a blizzard, excessive snow, extreme cold, freeze, and high winds that occurred between Sept. 27, 2019, through Oct. 5, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Cascade, Chouteau, Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Pondera, and Toole are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Blizzard, Excessive Snow, Freeze, and Frost – September 2019 through October 2019

Producers in Pondera County who suffered losses due to a blizzard, excessive snow, freeze, and frost that occurred between Sept. 27, 2019, through Oct. 8, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Chouteau, Flathead, Glacier, Liberty, Teton, and Toole are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Excessive Snow – September 2019 through December 2019

Producers in Cascade and Chouteau counties who suffered losses due to excessive snow that occurred between Sept. 28, 2019, through Dec.5, 2019, are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous Montana counties of Blaine, Fergus, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Meagher, Pondera, and Teton are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for emergency loans is Sept. 30, 2020.

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.