United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has approved Gov. Reynolds’ request for a Secretarial disaster declaration for several Iowa counties, including Jasper in the KNIA/KRLS broadcast area. In accordance with the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 24 additional counties were designated contiguous natural disaster counties, including Marion, Warren and Mahaska.

A Secretarial disaster designation makes farmers in primary counties and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the Farm Service Agency, including FSA emergency loans. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.

Counties approved: Benton, Boone, Cedar, Clinton, Dallas, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama

Contiguous counties: Adair, Audubon, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Butler, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Dubuque, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Iowa, Jackson, Keokuk, Louisa, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Muscatine, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wright