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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... 13 OREGON COUNTIES Jackson among counties in drought program Low-interest loans available through federal disaster program Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 3:40 PM Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 3:40 PM » Social News The Associated Press Oregon's worsening drought has triggered a federal disaster loan program in 13 Oregon counties, including Jackson and Josephine. The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that low-interest loans meant to offset economic losses associated with the drought are now available for small, nonfarm businesses in Baker, Crook, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wheeler counties, as well as California's Siskiyou County. Farmers in those counties are also eligible for emergency aid through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While Jackson County's precipitation total is slightly above normal for the water year, warm temperatures mean little of that moisture has been stored in the form of snow. Mt. Ashland remained closed Monday, hopeful that storms headed this way will bring enough snow to reopen during this week when students are on spring break. The federal agencies opened up their aid programs in Oregon in response to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's announcement last week that most of Oregon is in drought disaster mode. A map of the disaster zones nationwide shows California, Nevada, and Arizona completely engulfed in drought, while just a few counties in New Mexico and Utah remain unaffected. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state-level emergency in Lake and Malheur counties, where she said water projections "look bleak." Brown is likely to expand the declaration to other counties into more counties after the state's Water Availability Committee meets next month. The federal loans of up to $2 million are available to small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and nurseries, aquaculture businesses and nonprofit organizations in danger of failing to meet their bottom line because of drought-related financial hits. The loans do not cover property damage. "Eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster," said Tanya Garfield, director of the Small Business Administration's west regional disaster operation center. As the nightmare scenario of a fourth straight hot, dry summer becomes increasingly likely, Oregon wildlife officials, firefighters, farmers and ranchers are preparing for the worst. In Malheur County, the Owyhee reservoir is only a quarter full, with little hope that water storage will improve this year. Owyhee Irrigation District manager Jay Chamberlin told water users earlier this week to expect an allotment of 1.3 acre-feet per acre, about a third of the allotment they would receive on a good year. Many farmers in the region known for growing thirsty onions, sugar beets and sweet corn are switching to drought-hardier seed crops and leaving large swaths of land unplanted, afraid they won't be able to water it. "This is just disastrous for them," Chamberlin said. Meanwhile, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife experts worry that without sufficient snow melt to keep waterways deep and cold, fish will struggle to survive. Oregon Department of Forestry officials are bracing for a fourth straight long, devastating fire season. "Instead of 1- or 2-acre fires in the spring we've been seeing 20- and 30-acre fires," Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman Rod Nichols said. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 23, 2015 at 3:40 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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