FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Chambliss, Isakson Announce Disaster Declaration for Georgia Counties 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Ranking Republican Member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today announced that U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has approved Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s request for a Secretarial disaster designation for all eligible Georgia counties affected by severe freezing conditions that occurred April 6-9, 2007.  Sen. Chambliss sent a letter to Sec. Johanns in April in support of the Governor’s request.

“Georgia’s agricultural community has had a number of weather challenges already this year,” said Sen. Chambliss.  “I am pleased that our producers in critical financial need will have resources available to them through this declaration, even if in the form of low-interest loans.  Most of Georgia’s early season crops were devastated by the freezing temperatures, but this declaration will help assist producers affected by this disaster.  I’ve worked closely with Senator Isakson and Governor Perdue to make certain that every possible resource is made available to those who need assistance.   I appreciate the Administration’s expeditious approval of our request and their continued support for Georgia farmers.”

“As the leading industry in Georgia’s vibrant economy, agriculture is critical to our state. Our producers in Georgia are facing tough times due to recent conditions, including freezing temperatures in April that devastated many crops,” said Sen. Isakson. “This declaration gives the opportunity for those who need assistance immediately to take advantage of low-interest emergency loans now.”

The USDA declared the following 152 counties in Georgia as primary disaster areas: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Glynn, Gordon, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Heard, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes and Wilkinson.

The counties of Calhoun, Dougherty, Early, Quitman, Randolph and Worth are designated contiguous disaster counties.  Producers in both primary and contiguous counties are eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA).  Interested participants are urged to contact their local FSA office for more information. 

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