The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday added Flathead, Lake, Glacier and Pondera counties to the list of Montana counties eligible for federal drought relief funding, leaving only two counties in the state — Granite and Toole — ineligible for assistance.

Forty-four lawmakers, including all three members of Montana's congressional delegation, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack on Tuesday, urging the department to do more to help farmers and ranchers as blistering heat waves diminish crop yields and force early culling of livestock.

"In addition to ongoing droughts, low soil moisture and wildfires, an extreme heat wave hit the Pacific Northwest in June, with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit," the letter states. "Unfortunately, many of the producers who suffered the greatest heat-related losses were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both."

The lawmakers said excessive heat has damaged a wide range of crops, including tree fruits, grains, pulses, potatoes, hops, berries, cherries and wine grapes, as well as dairy products, poultry, beef cattle and other livestock. Their letter notes additional heat waves are in the forecast and droughts are predicted to last through October, worsening the agricultural losses and economic fallout.

"Due to the severity of the ongoing situation, we believe that additional federal assistance will be needed beyond what can be offered through current USDA drought relief programs," the lawmakers wrote, urging the department to "explore all potential flexibilities for additional relief within existing programs and identify other options to deliver federal relief to producers in our states so they have the resources to overcome the extreme drought and heat crisis."

The letter was signed by Republican Sen. Steve Daines, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, as well as lawmakers from Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota and Washington state. They said they would work to "craft additional authorities and appropriations" so the USDA can better respond to extreme weather crises.

A spokeswoman for Daines said the senator would continue pushing the department to offer relief to every county in Montana.

The letter also notes:

• Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry farmers have reported losses of 20% to 80% of their crops due to the heat, which also has damaged the canes that will produce next year's crop.
• Cherry growers in Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah have lost an estimated 20% of their crops due to the heat.
• In the northern plains, ranchers have been forced to cull large portions of their herds — more than half in some cases — due to a severe shortage of feed.
• Early modeling suggests up to 1 billion sea creatures, including clams, oysters, mussels and geoducks, died along the Salish Sea's more than 4,000 miles of coastline during the June heat wave, with some shellfish farmers reporting mortality rates of up to 90%. The Salish Sea includes Washington's Puget Sound and the inland waters of southwest British Columbia.
• For tree fruit crops such as apples and pears, the full extent of losses may not be known until harvest in the fall, or even later if damage occurs while the fruits are in storage.

Montana's Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide drought on July 1, directing the state Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Livestock and the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to work with the USDA to secure federal funding. The order also suspended some regulations for motor vehicles providing drought-related support.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which ranks droughts in five categories, more than 96% of Montana is experiencing a "moderate drought" or worse, and more than 5% is in the worst category, "exceptional drought." Most of Flathead County is in the "moderate" and "severe" categories.

Assistant editor Chad Sokol may be reached at 406-758-4439 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com.