Federal Disaster

WASHINGTON -- The Clinton administration declared drought-stricken Maryland a federal agricultural disaster area yesterday, making all farmers and agriculture-dependent businesses in the state eligible for low-interest emergency loans and other relief.It took a week for the U.S. Agriculture Department to respond to the disaster-relief request forwarded by Maryland's congressional delegation Aug. 4, and in subdued language, Gov. Parris N. Glendening thanked the White House.But the governor warned that for farmers heavily in debt, low-interest loans might be of little help.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Maryland Emergency Board reported serious drought damage to field crops yesterday, particularly in the southern part of the state, but withheld a recommendation that the governor seek federal disaster relief."

Faced with unprecedented hardships from the worst drought in three decades, Maryland farmers are petitioning for federal assistance to pay for livestock feed.C. William Knill of Mount Airy, president of the Maryland Farm Bureau, has written to Dan Glickman, U.S. secretary of agriculture, asking for federal emergency funds to assist farmers coping with soaring feed prices and facing unprecedented hardships this winter."For many, this is the last hope," said Knill, who wrote the letter Monday.

MARYLAND FARMERS are facing a double whammy during this, the worst drought in at least three decades. Their crops of corn and soybeans have withered in the enduring heat and aridity, while nationwide production is expected to be at or near record levels.The result is lower prices, and less product to sell, for farmers in most of this state. Corn yield in Maryland is projected to fall by 40 percent, soybean output by 20 percent. Net farm income for Maryland will fall 30 percent, predicts state Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley, and will "be felt in Main Street of rural towns all across the state," as farmers spend less.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening requested federal disaster aid yesterday for six Maryland counties that sustained severe flood damage in the wake of Hurricane Fran.In a letter to President Clinton, the governor asked that Allegany, Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties be declared major disaster areas.But disaster officials were not optimistic because the damage estimates of $1.4 million to public infrastructure are below the $5 million mark that the Federal Emergency Management Agency generally requires before recommending presidential declarations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared Carroll County a federal disaster area, meaning homeowners and businesses will be eligible for low-interest loans and grants."

A team of federal, state and local officials toured western Carroll County Friday to determine whether the county qualifies for federal disaster relief in the wake of last month's flooding.Five other Maryland counties were declared disaster areas by President Clinton Jan. 23 because of flooding, but Carroll officials did not request federal help at first.Minor flooding occurred around the county, and there was serious flood-related damage along the banks of the Monocacy River in Detour and Little Pipe Creek in Union Bridge Jan. 19.The county applied for federal aid last week, and the governor forwarded that request to federal officials.

Carroll County's eight towns are recovering from mountains of snow, but plowing through mounds of paper.Local officials are scrambling to document snow removal costs -- not just for the Blizzard of '96 but everything they've spent in the past three year -- if they want to qualify for federal disaster relief.With municipal budgets in shambles, leaders learned Tuesday that towns are eligible for federal help. The only problem is that applications are due at the Emergency Operations Center in Westminster at 9 a.m. today.

Carroll County's eight towns are recovering from mountains of snow, but plowing through mounds of paper.Local officials have been scrambling to document snow removal costs -- not just for the Blizzard of '96 but everything spent in the past three years -- to qualify for federal disaster relief.Town leaders learned Tuesday they were eligible for federal help. The only problem is that applications are due at the Emergency Operations Center in Westminster at 9 a.m. today.Municipalities were told to provide average costs of snow removal for the past three years and estimates of costs for this month's storm.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer has asked President Clinton to declare Maryland a "major disaster" area because of the severe winter storms, the third time in less than a year that the governor has sought federal disaster relief.The storms, which occurred from Jan. 4 to Feb. 18, caused an estimated $28 million in damage throughout the state and disrupted services ranging from fuel delivery to trash removal, Mr. Schaefer wrote in a letter sent to the president yesterday.A disaster declaration would make state and local governments -- and several nonprofit utility companies -- eligible for federal disaster funds that would help pay for storm-related costs.