Governor requests disaster declaration

A move to declare damage to the local tree growing industry as a natural disaster is underway due to this year's late May freeze. Local farmers are estimating damage to Yule trees at more than $30 million.

The declaration has already been requested by N.C. Gov. Mike Easley and is being passed on to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman.

"That's in the hands of the secretary of agriculture in Washington right now," said David Isner, Alleghany and Ashe County Cooperative Extension Christmas Tree Agent. "The letter was just sent from the governor last week."

While the process is underway, Isner said, "I don't know when they will declare it as a national disaster, but I would say it will be a short period of time."

That means that farmers could begin getting low-interest loans or other payments through the tree-assistance program in the near future. Both of those programs are administered through the local Farm Service Agency. In order to declare an event a disaster, the U.S. Department of Agriculture takes the information from the Farm Service Agency, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and the letter from the governor requesting the disaster declaration and use that information to make a decision. Isner said that almost two-thirds of the trees in Alleghany have been affected in some way by the late freeze.

The trees have received varying degrees of freeze and frost damage. "Generally speaking, low-lying areas received the most damage, with less damage to trees on mountainsides," Isner said. "The lower areas serve as frost-pockets."

Mainly damaged was the new growth on the trees, which will effectively set back harvest one or more years. When the new growth on a tree dies, that leaves the ends of the branches and the tree tops with dead ends, Isner said.

The trees with heavily damaged new growth and top growth will likely not be marketable at all this year. However, other trees that were more slightly damaged may be able to be sold this season.

We've had a significant financial impact," said Isner. "The Department of Agriculture is asking that those numbers (official damage estimates) not be given out until they've either confirmed or declared the disaster."

The Alleghany County Christmas Tree Association has been playing a lead role in coming up with local damage estimates to submit to the FSA. FSA's County Executive Director for Alleghany and Ashe County Jennifer Gilbert said the agency can help growers in one of two ways once the disaster declaration has been made.

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