Gov. Ritter sent a letter today to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for Secretarial Disaster Designation.
In Otero County, frost and freezing temperatures devastated melon production. The initial freeze occurred on May 13, 2010. Hail and high winds struck the area on May 14, May 18, June 11, 12 and 14. The Otero County Emergency Board estimates that nearly 50 percent of melon crops were damaged or destroyed.
Montrose County suffered freezing temperatures during the last week of April, 2010 that claimed up to 100 percent of the sweet cherry crop.
