 The Drought Response Task Force is chaired by the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency and includes experts from the Illinois
Department of Agriculture, Illinois Water Survey, Illinois
Department of Public Health and Illinois Emergency Management
Agency. The task force will continue to report and make
recommendations to the governor."We are seeing drought
conditions throughout Illinois, and it is important to convene
the state's top experts on weather, water resources and water
supply management, agriculture, public health and safety in
order to address the needs of communities around the state,"
Quinn said. "The Drought Response Task Force allows us to better
evaluate what we need to do to manage the impacts of drought in
the coming weeks."
The Drought Response Task Force was established in response
to past droughts and will meet as needed to monitor the
conditions of the state's water resources and systems and
coordinate the state's response to drought situations. The
purpose of the task force is to assist community and state
officials and to provide the public with information and tools
that promote better decision-making in water supply planning and
reduce drought-related impacts.
The Illinois State Water Survey reports that most of southern
and central Illinois is considered in drought, based on
precipitation deficits of 5 inches or more dating back to July
2011, with deficits of 8 inches or more in southeast Illinois
and up to 12 inches in portions of west-central Illinois during
that time. Northern Illinois is also dry, and if lack of
rainfall persists, could be considered in drought in the coming
weeks. The agency adds that the effects of the precipitation
deficits are even more substantial due to unseasonably warm
weather, including the warmest spring on record in parts of
Illinois. Updates on dry conditions are available at
http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/drought/.
[to top of second column] |
"The full extent of drought-related crop damage is not known
yet, but early assessments indicate farmers will sustain
substantial yield losses, especially in southern Illinois, where
much of the corn crop has been destroyed," said Bob Flider,
acting director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. "I
appreciate Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's efforts to simplify
the disaster declaration process. They will result in the
immediate declaration of 26 Illinois counties as disaster areas
and make farmers in those counties eligible for low-interest
emergency loans that can be used to pay not only production
expenses but also essential family living expenses."
Under new USDA rules announced yesterday, a county automatically
qualifies for a disaster designation once it is categorized by the
U.S. Drought Monitor as being in a severe drought for eight or more
consecutive weeks during the growing season. A formal request for
the designation is no longer necessary.
The 26 counties in Illinois that immediately meet the new
criteria are Alexander, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Edwards, Franklin,
Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson,
Lawrence, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline,
Union, Wabash, Wayne, White and Williamson. Additional counties
almost assuredly will qualify in the coming weeks.
Farmers who believe they may be eligible for the assistance
should contact their county Farm Service Agency office. Loan
applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into
account the extent of losses, security available and applicant's
repayment ability.
The activation of the Drought Response Task Force is based on a
protocol set up by the Water Plan Task Force in 1984. It was
activated most recently in 2005.
[Text from
Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency and
Illinois Department of
Natural Resources
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
 |
