TOPEKA – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback will lead a statewide tour of areas hardest hit by worsening drought conditions, beginning Tuesday, July 17th with stops in Saline County along the Smoky Hill River. Kansas Water Office Director Tracy Streeter, Kansas Department of Agriculture Sec. Dale Rodman as well as local officials and Kansans impacted by the drought will join the governor for the tour.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared 82 counties in Kansas federal disaster areas, making agricultural producers eligible for disaster assistance programs.

The following counties were included in the disaster declaration:

Primary Counties: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chautquaua, Cheyenne, Clark, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Edwards, Elk, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearney, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Linn, Logan, Lyon, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morton, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson

Contiguous Counties: Chase, Cherokee, Dickinson, Ellis, Ellsworth, Franklin, Marion, Morris, Miami, Osage, Osborne, Rush, Russell, Saline, Smith and Wabaunsee

Governor Brownback also will make stops in Neosho and Labette Counties on Wednesday as well as stops in the northwestern part of the state next week.