USDA drought declaration expanded in Nevada, Utah

RENO — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded a natural disaster declaration to include several additional counties suffering from drought in Nevada and Utah.

Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that Nevada’s White Pine County and Utah’s Sanpete County have been designated primary disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the lingering drought.

Farmer, ranchers and business owners now are eligible for the same low-interest loans already available to Nevada’s Elko and Eureka counties, and Utah’s Toole and Box Elder counties.

Neighboring counties also qualify for the loans available through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. They include Lincoln and Nye counties in Nevada, and Utah, Carbon, Emery, Juab, Millard and Sevier counties in Utah.