CHEYENNE — Gov. Dave Freudenthal is requesting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack designate part of Johnson County as a drought disaster area.

The move was prompted by a request from the Johnson County Commission chairman to secure a drought designation for approximately 20 percent of the northern Wyoming county.

In his letter, Freudenthal said that the vast majority of Wyoming did not experience a continuation of drought conditions, but other areas of the state were not as fortunate.

“I trust that the evaluation which will be conducted will result in an appropriately objective and scientific determination as to whether assistance is warranted and can be provided to the affected portion of Johnson County, Wyoming,” Freudenthal said.

“Federal emergency assistance that attends a drought disaster declaration will certainly be helpful in providing some degree of much needed relief for the people of the affected area,” he said.