USDA Designates 29 Montana Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional. 

Impacted Area: Montana

Triggering Disaster: Drought 

Application Deadline: Jan. 3, 2023 

Primary Counties Eligible: 

Montana:      

Beaverhead                         Golden Valley            Powder River

Big Horn                             Jefferson                     Richland

Blaine                                 Lewis and Clark         Roosevelt

Broadwater                         Liberty                        Rosebud

Carbon                                McCone                      Sheridan

Cascade                              Madison                      Stillwater

Chouteau                            Musselshell                Teton

Daniels                               Petroleum                   Toole

Fergus                                 Phillips                       Valley

Garfield                              Pondera

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Montana:

Carter                                 Gallatin               Park                       Sweet Grass

Custer                                 Glacier                Powell                   Treasure

Dawson                               Hill                      Prairie                   Wheatland

Deer Lodge                         Judith Basin        Ravalli                  Wibaux

Flathead                              Meagher              Silver Bow            Yellowstone 

Idaho: Clark, Fremont and Lemhi

North Dakota: Divide, McKenzie and Williams

Wyoming: Big Horn, Campbell, Crook, Park and Sheridan                             

More Resources

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local  USDA Service Center.