USDA Designates Five Montana Counties as Drought Disaster Areas
Governor Greg Gianforte announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated five Montana counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions. The affected counties are Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Wibaux. This designation allows farmers in these areas to apply for emergency loans to mitigate the impact of the drought. The drought conditions were assessed using the U.S. Drought Monitor, which categorized the impact as severe or extreme, affecting water availability for livestock and crop viability. 
