USDA disaster designation includes 7 UP counties

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture for designating 43 counties — including seven Upper Peninsula counties — as primary natural disaster areas Tuesday. Along with these primary areas, Gogebic and Ontonagon counties were included as contiguous counties as they border primary counties.

The designation makes assistance available to agriculture producers in those counties impacted by adverse weather conditions, a governor’s spokesperson said in a news release.

“This relief can’t come soon enough for our struggl...