USDA approves emergency conservation assistance for 20 Texas counties
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency in Texas is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program in 20 counties, including locally, to address damages from the severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding in July. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 11.
“Recovering from the impacts of natural disasters is never easy, but the Farm Service Agency is here to help,” said Erasmo Trevino, deputy state executive director for FSA in Texas in a Aug. 13 media release. “If you have an immediate need to clean up and restore your operation, please call your local office to see if restoration practice approval is needed before you take any action.”
Producers in Burnet, Llano, and Lampasas counties are eligible for ECP assistance along with Coke, Concho, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Kimble, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson counties.
Emergency Conservation Program
Approved ECP applicants can receive up to 75 percent of the cost of the approved restoration activity with a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event.
ECP cost share is available to producers who lease federally owned or managed lands, including Tribal Trust land, as well as state land.
Conservation concerns present on the land prior to the qualifying natural disaster event are not eligible for ECP assistance.
Approved ECP practices include:
Non-engineering practices
- EC-1—debris removal
- EC-2—grading/shaping/releveling or similar measures
- EC-3—repair/restoration of fencing
Engineering practices
- EC-4—restoring conservation structures and other installations (check with FSA before beginning any work)
Producers implementing any practices that involve engineering and/or ground disturbance should check with the FSA before beginning any restoration work as prior approval might be required to receive cost-share assistance.
Flexibilities
To allow producers to begin their recovery efforts sooner, the FSA is offering flexibilities that apply to non-ground disturbing practices.
The agency is waiving the onsite inspection for non-engineering ECP practices to remove surface debris and repair fencing. Additionally, the agency is waiving the requirement for producers to obtain prior approval to conduct surface debris removal and fence repair to support critical disaster recovery efforts.
Recent policy changes allow the FSA to streamline environmental compliance reviews following eligible natural disasters. The agency will continue to complete on-site environmental reviews for applicants who do not meet the required conditions.
More Information
To learn more about FSA programs, producers may contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/protection-recovery. USDA disaster assistance information can also be found at farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool.
The Farm Service Agency helps America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect, and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs. The FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery, and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.