66 Illinois counties have been added to the list of drought-affected natural disaster areas across the nation. Several northern Illinois counties are included in the latest round of declarations.
The additions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture include Winnebago, Boone, Carroll, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson and Whiteside Counties.
The U.S.D.A added more than 200 counties in a dozen states.
The latest additions make drought-affected farmers and ranchers eligible for federal aid including emergency loans. More than half the nation's counties are classified as natural disaster areas.