Helena, Montana – Five Montana counties have been officially designated as primary natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after experiencing severe drought conditions during the growing season, Governor Greg Gianforte announced.
The designation follows a notification sent to the governor by USDA Undersecretary Brooke Appleton, informing the state that the affected counties met the federal requirements for drought-related disaster assistance.
The counties receiving the primary designation are Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Wibaux. Officials said the declaration reflects the significant impact drought has had on agricultural operations throughout these areas.
The federal designation allows eligible farm operators in those counties to apply for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, provided they meet the program’s eligibility requirements.
Additional counties also qualify for federal assistance
The USDA also identified several neighboring counties as contiguous disaster areas, extending access to the same emergency agricultural assistance.
The contiguous counties include Daniels, Fallon, McCone, Prairie, and Valley. In addition, Beaverhead and Ravalli counties qualify through a separate disaster designation issued in neighboring Idaho, allowing producers there to seek the same federal support.
Officials explained that while eligibility opens the door to financial assistance, every emergency loan request is reviewed individually by the Farm Service Agency. The agency evaluates each application by considering the extent of crop or production losses suffered by the farming operation, along with the applicant’s ability to repay the loan.
The drought determination was made using information from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which classifies drought conditions into several categories. Counties qualified for the designation after reaching D2, D3, or D4 drought levels, representing severe to exceptional drought.
These classifications reflect serious agricultural impacts, including livestock ponds becoming low or completely dry, limited water supplies for cattle, crop losses that prevent harvesting, and widespread damage to grazing pasture.
State officials encouraged farmers affected by the prolonged dry conditions to contact their local Farm Service Agency office as soon as possible to learn about available assistance and begin the application process.
Under federal rules, eligible producers have eight months from the date of the Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.
Governor Gianforte said the federal designation provides important support for Montana’s agricultural producers as they continue dealing with the financial challenges caused by drought. Officials hope the emergency loan program will help farmers and ranchers recover from production losses while providing resources needed to continue operating through difficult conditions.
