The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated seven Maine counties as natural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought, unlocking relief for farmers, businesses and nonprofits throughout most of the state.<\/p>\n
The primary counties designated as natural disaster areas by the USDA last week are Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Waldo.<\/p>\n
The federal agency cites the U.S. Drought Monitor\u2019s designations of these areas as being either in severe or extreme drought for eight or more consecutive weeks during the growing season. <\/p>\n
Many of the aforementioned counties have been at least partially under severe conditions since mid-August, according to the Drought Monitor, and the drought has expanded and worsened since then: A stretch of the coastline from Cumberland to Hancock County has been under an extreme designation since mid-September.<\/p>\n
\u201cContiguous counties,\u201d or counties bordering those designated as disaster areas, are also eligible for relief: Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Washington and York counties. Some of those areas were also at least partially under severe drought since mid-September, according to the Drought Monitor.<\/p>\n
Aroostook and Piscataquis counties are currently left off the eligibility list. While all of Maine has been under at least moderate drought since Sept. 15, a chunk of northern Maine, including much of Aroostook County and northern Piscataquis County, was not given a severe designation until early October. That designation was expanded deeper into Piscataquis County just last week.<\/p>\n
The USDA also declared Maine\u2019s drought a natural disaster last year,<\/a> unlocking similar forms of relief. <\/p>\n RELIEF PROGRAMS<\/p>\n The USDA\u2019s Farm Service Agency announced the availability of emergency loans in the 14 eligible counties last week, along with an array of other disaster assistance programs.<\/p>\n The emergency loans can be used for a variety of needs, such as replacing equipment and livestock or refinancing debts. The FSA says it will review applications based on the extent of losses suffered, security available and repayment ability.<\/p>\n The USDA and FSA also offer a variety of other assistance programs, including ones specifically for livestock producers, orchards and nurseries.<\/p>\n \u201cImpacted producers should timely report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses to their local FSA county office<\/a> as soon as possible,\u201d Tommy Higgins, state executive director for FSA in Maine, said in a news release. \u201cAs you evaluate your operation, take time to gather important documents you may need to get assistance, including farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.\u201d<\/p>\n Eligibility and deadlines to apply vary by program. More information on the types of assistance available can be found at fsa.usda.gov.<\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. Small Business Administration announced on Monday that loans are now available to businesses and nonprofits that suffered operational expenses caused by the drought in the eligible counties since Sept. 15. The SBA also made similar loans<\/a> available to counties impacted by the drought last year.<\/p>\n Small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and aquaculture enterprises may apply for the loans. Private nonprofits and faith-based organizations may also apply.<\/p>\n Eligible entities may qualify for up to $2 million in loans at interest rates as low as 4%, or just over 3.6% for private nonprofit organizations, with no interest or required payments for the first 12 months of the up to 30-year terms. <\/p>\n More information and applications can be found at sba.gov\/disaster<\/a>.<\/p>\n MAINE\u2019S DROUGHT<\/p>\n