Jones Addresses Drought in the 95th District, Offers Resources

COLUMBUS- House Agriculture Chairman Don Jones (R-Freeport) announced that a new report released by the National Drought Mitigation revealed that large portions of Southeast Ohio, as well as the entire 95th House District, Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Noble, and Washington counties are currently experiencing severe drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows parts of the U.S. in drought. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4). All the counties in the 95th House District are D3, qualifying the area for assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

“I encourage anyone who is experiencing hardships with their water resources, livestock, crops, and transportation to document the issues and report this to the USDA Ohio FSA,” said Jones. “Producers should contact their local USDA FSA County office by following this link.”

A complete list of USDA disaster assistance programs can be found here. 

“There are numerous programs available to our producers to help them recover from the extremely dry conditions we’re experiencing,” Jones continued. “Please take the time to review the resources available and share the information with others.”

Representative Jones will continue to provide updates and resources as the issue develops.