Courtesy of Scott Anderson with the AgriLife Extension Office: A flood has caused severe damage in area(s) of the County. Farms and ranches suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Brown County 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

affect 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 immediately.

To be eligible for assistance, practices must not be started until all of the following are met:

an application for cost-share assistance has been filed

the local FSA County Committee (COC) 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.

For more information about ECP, please contact the Brown County FSA Office at 643-2573.