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FALLS, S.D. (AP) – The severity of drought in the Dakotas has changed little over the past week.

The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor Map shows that about 61 percent of South Dakota is in severe or extreme drought, compared to about 59 percent last week.

None of North Dakota has yet slipped into extreme drought. About 17 percent of the state is in the severe category, up 1 percentage point over the week.

The hardest-hit areas in South Dakota are in the southwest and the southeast. In North Dakota, the southwest and east are suffering the most.

Drought-stricken farmers and ranchers in the Dakotas are getting more help from the federal Agriculture Department.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is announcing a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program land. Farmers in six North Dakota counties will be able to qualify for low-interest emergency loans.