Letter seeks designation as drought disaster area

Southeast Missourian

The U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to respond quickly to a request that would designate 22 Southeast Missouri counties as drought disaster areas, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said. Emerson announced she had sent a letter to acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner urging the fast action in response to a request for the designation from Gov. Matt Blunt. The request covers counties from Jefferson and Washington south through the Bootheel to the Arkansas border and west to Howell County. Area counties included are Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott and Perry.