In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s refusal this week to declare a crop disaster in 10 Southeast Colorado counties, a trio of Colorado lawmakers, including Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas, Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Walsh, drafted a letter today calling on the federal agency to reconsider its denial.

“I ask for the department to relax some of its rigid rules in allotting these emergency funds,” said Kester. “The need for funding in Southern Colorado is great, and many of our farmers have no where else to turn. This money can be make-or-break for some producers.”

The USDA requires actual losses of 30 percent in a region prior to declaring a disaster. The department estimates the 10,000 cattle that died represent a smaller share of cattle in southeastern Colorado.

Federal assistance had been sought for crop-disaster declarations in Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Lincoln, Otero and Prowers counties.