PIERRE - Gov. Mike Rounds on Wednesday requested a presidential disaster declaration for federal aid in 29 counties and three reservations hit hardest by early June storms and flooding.

If President Bush approves the request, the Federal Emergency Management Agency could reimburse up to 75 percent of the eligible costs. In a release, Rounds says the state will cover 15 percent and the local jurisdiction would be responsible for the rest.

Rounds says preliminary damage assessments indicate nearly $4 million in damage to public infrastructure.

"I want to stress that number is just an estimate," he said. "Nonetheless, with the widespread and extensive damage, the people of South Dakota would certainly benefit from a presidential disaster declaration."

The governor is requesting two different kinds of federal aid: public assistance and individual assistance.

Public assistance money reimburses the cost to repair eligible public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewer systems.

Rounds has asked for public assistance for these counties: Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Charles Mix, Clay, Dewey, Douglas, Gregory, Haakon, Hand, Hanson, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jackson, Lawrence, Lyman, McCook, Meade, Mellette, Moody, Perkins, Stanley, Tripp, Turner and Ziebach. He also asked for assistance for the Crow Creek, Cheyenne River and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes.

An individual assistance declaration would make several programs available to people with qualifying damage in the eligible area, including FEMA grants for basic needs and emergency assistance and U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans.

That aid has been requested for people in Butte, Charles Mix, Grant Haakon, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jones, Lawrence, Meade, and Pennington counties as well as the Crow Creek, Cheyenne River and Lower Brule Tribes.

There is no deadline for the White House to act on the request, Rounds said.