Illinois Governor Pat Quinn requested a disaster declaration for every county in the state because of the continuing drought.
Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon said the USDA decided farmers in all Illinois counties can allow livestock to feed on conservation lands under certain guidelines starting August 2, 2012. Farmers in ten counties can begin emergency haying immediately. They are Adams, Brown, Cass, Greene, Hancock, McDonough, Mason, Menard, Pike and Schuyler counties.
That announcement happened at Simon’s visit to Moline, Illinois on Wednesday, July 25, 2012.
Simon announced an additional 22 Illinois counties were added to the list of those declared federal disaster areas, bringing to 48 the total number of Illinois counties eligible for low-interest federal loans. Illinois counties which have received federal disaster declaration are Adams, Alexander, Boone, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Edgar, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Massac, McHenry, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Scott, St. Clair, Stephenson, Union, Vermillion, Wabash, Wayne, White, Williamson and Winnebago.
Governor Pat Quinn requested disaster declarations for the rest of the counties in Illinois, including Rock Island, Bureau, Knox, Henry, Whiteside, Stark and Lee counties. The USDA was still assessing drought-related damages in those counties.
Read his letter requesting the declaration at this link: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/drought/Documents/July21_Drought_Illinois.pdf
More info about assistance and the effect of the drought on Illinois is available online at this link: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/drought/Pages/default.aspx
