President Bush on Friday declared the Nov. 5-7 blizzard a major disaster for South Dakota, triggering the release of federal recovery funds, according to Sen. John Thune.

The South Dakota congressional delegation urged the president to issue a disaster declaration, endorsing Gov. Mike Rounds' request for federal assistance earlier this month.

State and local governments and some nonprofit agencies can get assistance for emergency work and repairs in Bennett, Butte, Corson, Dewey, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Meade, Mellette, Perkins, Shannon, Todd and Ziebach counties, and portions of the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations. Pennington County did not have enough storm damage to qualify.