Governor Announces Two-Thirds
Of Texas In Drouth Emergency

AUSTIN, Texas —(AP)— Gov. George W. Bush declared an emergency in two-thirds of the state last Thursday, amid worries that the unusually dry winter may give way to a summertime drouth more ruinous than last year's.

The emergency declaration in 167 of the state's 254 counties makes Texas eligible for federal aid, which Bush said is needed to pay for the movement of firefighting equipment to areas that may soon need it.

``I think we ought to pray for rain,'' Bush said as state officials reported that farmers and ranchers already are being hurt and reservoir levels are dropping.

In 1998, bone-dry weather turned the Texas landscape into a tinderbox, sparking more than 10,000 wildfires. The drouth devastated the state's major crops. More than one-fourth of the corn crop was lost, two thirds of the cotton and hay shriveled up, and close to half of the sorghum, used primarily as animal feed, died.

This year is looking like it could be worse.

Rainfall in the state has been far below normal since the first of the year, according to Carl Anderson, agricultural Extension economist at Texas A&M University. Last year, the drouth began in early March.

``Agriculture is truly in peril,'' said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs. ``They simply cannot make it when you have drouth coupled with low and falling prices.''

She added: ``I hope that weather forecasts for continued dry and warm weather in Texas are proven wrong.''

The Texas Forest Service said fire danger is increasing across Central and West Texas, much of which never recovered from last year. The wildfire potential already is greater in parts of West Texas and the Panhandle than it was in May 1998, the service said. In addition, spring winds are further drying out grazing lands.

If a drouth materializes, it will be the third in four years for the nation's second-largest state.

``We're at the same point today that we were in May and June last year,'' said Forest Service Director Jim Hull, who described conditions as ``desperate.''

The state is spending $167,000 a week to position firefighting equipment. Last year, during the height of the drouth, Texas spent $5 million a week, which included the cost of bringing in emergency equipment and personnel from outside the state.

Farmers and ranchers, still struggling from last year, are reporting problems. Boll weevils, beetles that destroy cotton, are proliferating because cash-strapped farmers cannot pay for eradication. And hay for livestock feed is in short supply.

In far West Texas, reservoir storage is at 23 percent of capacity and the lower Rio Grande Valley region is entering its sixth year of drouth.