SACRAMENTO – United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a disaster declaration due to a heat wave this spring.

Secretary Vilsack designated Glenn and Tehama counties as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by high temperatures that occurred during the period of May 15 through May 31, with Butte, Colusa, Lake, Mendocino, Plumas, Shasta and Trinity counties named as contiguous disaster counties.

“I wish to thank Secretary Vilsack for the declaration of disaster,” said A.G. Kawamura, secretary of California Department of Food and Agriculture. “We value our partnership with the USDA. This is an important and much appreciated step in helping farmers and ranchers that were damaged by excessive heat.”

USDA has determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a secretarial natural disaster designation.

The designation makes farmers and ranchers in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

This action is in addition to a designation of disaster by Vilsack last week due to drought damage in California.