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USDA <br />United States Department of Agricutture <br />Office of the Secretary <br />Washington. D.C. 20250 <br />JUL - 3 2012 <br />The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper <br />Governor <br />State of Colorado <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Dear Governor Hickenlooper: 53260 <br />Thank you for your letter of June 27, 2012, requesting a disaster designation for all eligible or <br />qualifying Colorado counties, due to drought and related disasters that have occurred in 2012. <br />The Department of Agriculture has reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and has determined <br />that there were sufficient production losses in 62 counties to warrant a Secretarial disaster <br />designation. Therefore, I am designating all Colorado counties, except Delta and San Juan <br />Counties, as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought, excessive heat, and <br />high winds that occurred from January 1, 2012, and continuing. <br />In accordance with section 321(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, Delta <br />and San Juan Counties, Colorado, are named as contiguous disaster counties. <br />A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties <br />eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided <br />eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Farmers in <br />eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for <br />emergency loan assistance. FSA will consider each emergency loan application on its own <br />merits, taking into account the extent of production losses, security available, and repayment <br />ability. <br />Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information. <br />Sincerely, <br />14- - V&4., <br />aC41 <br />Thomas . t sack <br />Secretary <br />