PUEBLO, Colo.—Twelve Colorado counties have been declared as natural disaster areas because of drought and the state is seeking to have five more added to the list.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that nine more counties have gotten the designation, making farmers and ranchers eligible for low interest, emergency loans.
The counties now listed are Bent, Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Las Animas, Huerfano (WEHR’-fah-noh), Prowers, Kiowa (KY’-oh-wah) , Pueblo, Baca, Crowley and Otero.
Gov. John Hickenlooper is also seeking assistance for Alamosa, Conjeos (ko-NAY’-hohs), Costilla, Rio Grande and Saguache (suh-WAHCH’) counties. He says many producers had to give up irrigating alfalfa.
Fremont County was designated as a disaster area because of a freeze that hurt its apple crop. Hickenlooper wants Delta, Mesa and Montrose added because of damage to fruit crops.
