GLICKMAN DECLARES TENNESSEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND PORTIONS OF VERMONT AS
DISASTER AREAS 
                                             Release No.0359.99
                                                               
                                  Andrew Kauders (202) 720-4623
                                       andrew.kauders@usda.gov 
                                 Matt Kilbourne  (202) 720-5239
                                Matt_Kilbourne@wdc.fsa.usda.gov


GLICKMAN DECLARES TENNESSEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND PORTIONS OF VERMONT AS
DISASTER AREAS 
     
     WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1999 -- Agriculture Secretary Glickman today
declared all of Tennessee, 9 counties in New Hampshire, and 5 counties in
Vermont agricultural disaster areas. The designation makes low-interest USDA
loans available to farmers in these counties and states, as well as contiguous
counties in adjacent states, to cover losses from excessive heat and drought.

     "The drought of 1999 will be remembered as one of the most severe and
destructive in history," said President Clinton.  "Today we are adding New
Hampshire, Vermont and Tennessee to the unfortunate roster of recent drought
casualties, so that farmers and ranchers can get the critical help they need
through low-interest federal loans."

  "This drought continues to cause much suffering and pain in many of
America's farm communities, and we are determined to work with Congress in
providing direct cash grants to those affected by drought and record low
prices," said Glickman.  "At the same time, we are continuing to provide much
needed low-interest loans to America's farmers and ranchers in these
distressed counties and states."

  This designation makes all family-sized farm operators in both primary and
contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm
Service Agency (FSA).  Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the
date of this declaration to apply for the loans to help cover part of their
actual losses.  FSA will consider each application on its own merits, taking
into account the extent of losses, security available, repayment ability, and
other eligibility requirements.
  
  USDA has already provided over $17 million in Emergency Conservation
Program (ECP) funds to assist with local water conservation projects in fourteen states. 
These projects may include drilling wells, developing other water resources,
and piping water to livestock and confined poultry operations when water
resources have become inadequate.  USDA also offers federal crop insurance and
a program to compensate farmers for certain non-insured crop losses.
                                

  FSA has a variety of programs available, in addition to the emergency loan
program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. Interested farmers
may contact their local FSA offices for further information on eligibility
requirements and application procedures.  Additional drought information can
be found at http://drought.fsa.usda.gov  A complete list of counties and  ECP
allocations is available at www.usda.gov/news/releases/1999/09/septembe.htm
               
States and counties declared primary disaster areas:

Tennessee:      Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell,
Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee,
Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, De Kalb, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette,
Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen,
Hamilton, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry,
Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake,
Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion,
Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan,
Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson,
Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan,
Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington,
Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, and Wilson

New Hampshire:
 Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham,
Strafford, and Sullivan 

Vermont:
Addison, Caledonia, Franklin, Orleans, and Windham

  Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are Coos in New Hampshire,
Bennington, Chittenden, Essex, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland,
Washington, and Windsor in Vermont, as well as 52 counties in adjacent states
as follows: Oxford and York in Maine, Essex, Franklin, Middlesex, and
Worcester in Massachusetts, Essex and Washington in New York, Jackson,
Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Crittenden, and Mississippi in Arkansas,
Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield in Georgia, Allen, Bell,
Calloway, Christian, Clinton, Cumberland, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Logan,
McCreary, Monroe, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Wayne, and Whitley in Kentucky,
Alcorn, Benton, De Soto, Marshall, Tippah, and Tishomingo, in Mississippi, New
Madrid, Pemiscot, in Missouri, Ashe, Avery, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood,
Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Watauga, and Yancey in North Carolina, and Bristol,
Grayson, Lee, Scott, and Washington in Virginia.

  Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) allocations to drought-affected states
since July 1, 1999:

               Connecticut    $750,000
               Kentucky       $1,231,750
               Maryland       $1,120,000
               Massachusetts  $500,000
               Missouri       $130,000
               Montana        $552,000
               New York       $75,000
               Ohio           $1,876,800
               Pennsylvania   $2,182,000
               Rhode Island   $250,000
               Texas          $198,600
               Vermont        $420,000
               Virginia       $2,993,000
               West Virginia  $5,000,000                    
  

  
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