Governor again asks feds for drought aid

Schwarzenegger requests a range of assistance to Fresno Co.

Published online on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked federal officials to reconsider their decision to reject a request for emergency aid for Fresno County drought victims, his office said Monday.

Prodded by local officials and farming leaders to address the water shortage, Schwarzenegger asked the federal government in June to provide a range of assistance to Fresno County.

The federal government denied the request in July, finding that "the required response and recovery appears to be within the combined capability of the state, affected local governments and voluntary organizations," according to the Governor's Office.

The Governor's Office disagreed with that assessment, saying that the water shortage has led to tremendous costs associated with crop shortages, wildfires and other problems. Presidential disaster declarations for droughts are rare: The last one happened nearly 30 years ago.

Schwarzenegger wrote a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to reconsider the denial.

"The economic impact of the drought is especially critical in Fresno County, where per capita income is low and the unemployment rate is high," the letter states.

Letters from Fresno County government and nonprofit leaders were included in the appeal.

The federal law authorizing presidential declarations specifically include droughts as the kind of disasters that can be recognized. The selection process, though, tilts more toward disasters with outright physical destruction that overwhelm government forces.

The major selection criteria identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency include "the number of homes destroyed," "impact on the infrastructure" and the presence of "imminent threats to public health and safety."