Five Northern Nevada counties are disaster areas

CARSON CITY -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today declared five Northern Nevada counties as disaster areas due to losses caused by wildland fires last month.

More than 1.3 million acres were burned in the blazes that swept across the area.

Glickman, in a letter to Gov. Kenny Guinn, said Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander and Pershing counties will receive the designation. In addition, Churchill, Nye, Washoe and White Pine counties were declared contiguous disaster counties.

These designations make family-sized farms eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the federal Farm Service Agency which will consider the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the action by Glickman is "welcome news for the ranchers and farmers who have suffered as a result of the worst wildfires to hit Nevada in recent memory."

These low-interest lows, Reid said, "will help speed the recovery of ranches, farms and other businesses." He added, "I am also hopeful that in the process of restoring this rangeland that we will take steps to prevent this devastation from recurring by eliminating cheat grass and replanting native vegetation."

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