Farmers, Ranchers May be Eligible for Weather-Related Assistance

TYLER — Assistance may be available for some who suffered damage from severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding earlier this year in Smith County. According to a news release, farms and ranches suffering damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office if the damage:
– Will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use
– Is unusual and is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area
– Affects the productive capacity of the farmland
– Will impair or endanger the land.

A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures. No producer is eligible for more than $200,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence. The following types of measures may be eligible:
– Removing debris from farmland
– Grading, shaping, or releveling severely damaged farmland
– Restoring permanent fences
– Restoring conservation structures and other similar installations.

Producers who have suffered a loss from a natural disaster may contact the local FSA County Office and request assistance from October 19 – November 18, 2015.

To be eligible for assistance, practices must not be started until the following are met:
– An application for cost-share assistance has been filed
– The local FSA County Committee or its representative has conducted an onsite inspection of the damaged area
– The Agency responsible for technical assistance, such as the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS), has made a needs determination, which may include cubic yards of earthmoving, etc., required for rehabilitation.

To apply for assistance or for more information, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov or contact the Smith County FSA at 903 561-2050 X2 for an appointment.