Storm assistance sought

Federal disaster declaration wanted for crop damage from July 6 storm

By TY BEAVER

H&N Staff Writer

July 19, 2007

Wheel lines near Lost River High School were tossed like pickup sticks July 6. Some of Cory Turner’s lines were wrapped around power poles, and others were bent.

    Klamath County agriculture officials are seeking a disaster declaration from the federal government in the wake of a damaging storm in the Klamath Basin about two weeks ago. 

   Basin growers are still cleaning up from the storm that heavily damaged fields of potatoes and strawberry plants, as well as grains and alfalfa. Early estimates place damage in the millions of dollars. 

   The July 6 storm moved through the Basin from southern Siskiyou County . Macdoel, Malin and Bonanza’s Yonna Valley were hit with hail, heavy rain and powerful winds. A storm the night of July 10 added more water to drenched fields. 

   Damage estimates are widespread, with an estimated 400 to 500 acres of potatoes and 1,000 acres of strawberry plants destroyed, according to Brian Charlton of the Klamath Basin Research and Extension Center . 

   Scott Scholer, ranch manager for Lassen Canyon Nursery in Macdoel, estimated harvesting one half to one third as many strawberry plants as usual. California agriculture officials and representatives from the Dole food processing company were in the Klamath Basin to survey the damage.

Strawberry crop back 

   The crop is rebounding though, with help from established mother plants and their root systems. 

   “These are tough plants. They’ll go through a lot,” Scholer said. 

   Grain and alfalfa fields also were damaged, with growers seeing whole fields sheared off as if cut. 

   “I’ve seen grain crops where the head was just stripped off,” Charlton said. 

   Harry Carlson, director of the Intermountain Research and Extension Center in Tulelake, said the storm and resulting damage in Malin and near Northern California is reminiscent of an incident that caused heavy crop losses in Merrill about 10 years ago. 

   The recent damage came with a mixed blessing: While it heavily damaged several areas, that harm was localized and not widespread. 

   “I know I talked to a lot of growers who were grateful they didn’t get hit,” he said. 

   If a disaster declaration is granted, producers could be eligible for emergency loans and other federal programs. Officials with the Farm Services Agency also advised that producers who purchased coverage under the Non-insured Assistance Program to file a notice of loss with the FSA.

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