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004-07BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RESOLUTION REQUESTING FREDERICK COUNTY BE DECLARED A DROUGHT DISASTER COUNTY WHEREAS, the extended drought conditions in the County of Frederick have severely affected farmers; and WHEREAS, during the 2007 growing season, the County of Frederick has received considerably less rain than normal while experiencing unseasonably high temperatures; and WHEREAS, estimated losses of pasture agricultural crops are greater than 30 %and losses for individual crops range from 15% to 30 %for crops such as small grains, hay, alfalfa, and apples; and WHEREAS, Frederick County farmers need federal assistance in responding to their losses as a result of extreme dry weather. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Frederick County Board of Supervisors that the County Adminiskrator is hereby directed to submit to Governor Timothy Kaine a request for assistance in obtaining federal disaster designation for Frederick County, which will make available federal assistance to Frederick County farmers who have experienced crop damage and losses due to the excessive heat and on- going drought. ADOPTED this 22 "d day of August, 2007. VOTE: Richard C. Shickle Aye Bill M. Ewing g�,e Gene E. Fisher Aye Philip A. Lemieux Aye Charles S. DeHaven, Jr. Aye Barbara E. Van Osten Aye Gary W. Dove Aye f`L'�,`f� /, A Jo�n�. Riley, Jr., "Clerk Board of Supervisors County of Frederick, VA Resolution No.: 004 -07 COUNTY of FREDERICK J ®Zin FL. ]they, Jr. County Administrator August 23, 2007 540!665 -5666 Fax 540!667 -0370 E -mail: jriley @co.frederick.va.¢s The Honorable Timothy M. Kaine Governor Commonwealth of Virginia Patrick Henry Building Executive Office Building, Third Floor 1111 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 Dear Governor Kaine: The Frederick County Board of Supervisors, meeting in regular session on August 22, 2007, approved the enclosed resolution requesting that Frederick County, Virginia be designated as a drought disaster county. Your assistance in helping to designate same is respectfully requested. Should you need additional information, please do not hesiiate to contact me. With kindest regards, I am S' cerel ��` � /�. f/, John R. Riley, Jr. County Administrator JRR /tjp Enclosure cc: Brenda Diehl, Extension Agent Josh K. Marvel, Associate Extension Agent Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences Jacquelin Easter, Executive Director, Virginia Farm Service Agency __ C' \TJ% extension\ Levers\ CrovKeincrDroyghiDesignation (082207SdMtg }wpd 107 North Kent Street Vv'inchester. Virginia 2260] -5000 Virginia Cooperative Extension A partnership of Virginia Tech and lrryinia State University Tiny 27, 2007 Richard Shickle, Chairman Frederick County Board of Supervisors County Administration Building 107 N. Kest St. Winchester, VA 22601 Dear Mr. Shickle, �1VirginiaTech °� College dAgriculture and Life Sciences School ofAgricutture Urginia State University Frederick Cooaty OSce 107 North ICcnt Sired Rrmchesta, VA 22601 -5000 Phone: (540} ti65 -3699 FAX (540} 722 -6380 Email: imarvelP vtedu invw.exLvt.edx M5 `��G$��4 a /`�`�����j 7 /�r �i��,���€� � JUL 2Fm7 1 :n Fmdeick County � . \..� �.; c`, kdmini= kta�iot, 0�ifite ^�T " -�/ This is to notify the Frederick Coutrty Sward of Supervisors in accordance with Section 3.1 -22.15 of tbe Code of Virginia, of severe drought conditions. Frederick County has gone through a dry summer season. For July, we have received an estimate of 0.77 inches of rainfall but that has not helped our deficit of about 3.13 inches from the year to date average. Drought conditions have existed in the toasty throughout the summer, with the most severe locations being localized in the extreme northwestern part of the County and the Middletown /Stephens City areas. With the understanding that there is great variability in the growing conditions for Frederick County farms, and the losses sustained by farmers will vary gently from farm to farm, it is estimated that the vast majority of Frederick County farms have suffered loss in pasture, alfalfa, and grass hay yield On average, it is believed that srnnmer pasture and hay production was reduced by 40 - 50 %. This loss estimate was determined by comparing the tote] days in the gr�ng p�� the �� condition of the pasture and hay fields, and the number of days that required supplemental feeding. Many growers have resorted to supplemental feeding from thew winter reserves. If a substantial rain event did occur, though one is not predicted, growers will need to continue supplemental feeding because of the poor condition of the pasture and hay phmts and the lag time for sufficient growth. Though some localized farms may show substantial losses for corn, soybeans, mid apples of 30% or greater than the county average, I believe that these crops have not yet suffered substantial county wide losses, It is important to understand that before a county can be declared for an agriculture disaster, and producers eligible for assistance fr om USDA, losses for a crop throughout the county must be at ]east 30% of the USDA five year average. This "loss" test is often difficult to show because the five -year county average is considerably lower than an average yield for a farm utilizing best management practices. Because of the agriculture situation created by the drought, I am informing the Frederick Cotmty Board of Supervisors on protocol for considering a declaration for an agricultural emergency. If you do declare an emergency, it iS recommended that you do so by Resolution, and then forward it with a cover letter to the Governor requesting a Declaration of Emergency for Frederick County, please send a copy of the Resolution and request to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner, 1100 Bank Street, Richmond, VA 23219, and Virginia Farm Service Agency, JacqueIia Easter, Executive Duector, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Culpeper Bw7ding, Suite 138, Richmond, VA 23229. Sincerely, (� f Josh K. Marvel + Associate Extension Agent ec: John Riley, County Administrator troww.ext. vt. edu Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculbrte, and state and beat governments. Urginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open io all, regardless of race, rotor, national origin, sex, religion, age, disabYity, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or fatuity stable. M equal opportunity /affirmative action empbyer.