Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced Friday that he will request that dozens of Minnesota counties, including most of southeastern Minnesota, be designated as federal agricultural disaster areas by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture because of severe drought.
A preliminary assessment of Minnesota counties conducted by the USDA Farm Service Agency found that 49 of the 87 counties are eligible for emergency assistance.
Six counties in southeastern Minnesota have at least 30 percent loss on at least one crop. They are Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Wabasha and Winona.
Those counties are not alone -- 42 others are suffering the same fate: Aitkin, Big Stone, Carlton, Cass, Chippewa, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Faribault, Freeborn, Grant, Hubbard, Itasca, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac Qui Parle, Lake, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Mahnomen, Meeker, Morrison, Nicollet, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, St. Louis, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Wilkin, Wright and Yellow Medicine.
