11 counties get drought declaration

 Ryan Lengerich Journal staff

Pennington and 10 other West River counties have been declared a drought disaster area, opening federal subsidies and low-interest loans to farmers and ranchers.

In Pennington County the declaration comes two weeks after county commissioners passed a resolution asking Gov. Dennis Daugaard to petition U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to declare a disaster.

Vilsack has added 218 counties in 12 states — including 25 counties in South Dakota — to the natural disaster list. The declaration means that more than half the counties in the country are in a drought disaster.

Pennington's eastern side and far western edge is taking the worst beating. It is listed as being in "extreme drought" condition by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The county's middle portion is in "severe drought."

"Among other things the declaration will open up such things as CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land for haying and grazing and will also make them eligible for any emergency programs that the United States Department of Agriculture might offer," Pennington County Commissioner Lyndell Peterson said Friday. "In that respect, it will help some, but folks are going to have to make some tough decisions."

Livestock producers participating in the CRP program will be able to use acres that had been ineligible for grazing in the past.

South Dakota State University climatologist Dennis Todey said in his weekly update that 20 percent of the state is in "extreme drought" condition. Livestock operators are struggling to keep up with cattle demands for feed and water throughout almost all of the state, he said. Water quantity and quality is becoming an issue, as well.

Recent rains have done little to alleviate agriculture woes created by the hottest July in Rapid City since 1936.

South Dakota Stockgrowers Association executive director Silvia Christen said the drought declaration may have been more helpful last month.

"It's probably either at the very end of on time or too late," she said.

Ranchers are familiar with the CRP program, she said, but working through the government system to access available funds is more complex, especially for ranchers who only attempt to access the funds during droughts.

"There is definitely a learning curve there," she said. "There is a reluctance, too. We are proudly independent here, and people are going to try to weather this if they can."

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