Link: http://www.usda.gov/2006/03/0088.xml Contact: Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623 Jillene Johnson (202) 720-9733 USDA PROVIDES $20.1 MILLION IN EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM FUNDS TO 26 STATES WASHINGTON, March 15, 2006 -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner today announced that USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) will allocate close to $20.1 million in Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funding to 26 states affected by natural disasters. "The Emergency Conservation Program is an important tool for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate and strengthen environmental stewardship of their lands," said Conner. "These funds will help farmers and ranchers rehabilitate farmland damaged by floods, drought, wildfires and other natural disasters in recent years." ECP gives producers resources to remove debris from farmland, restore fences and conservation structures, provide water for livestock in drought situations and grade and shape farmland damaged by a natural disaster. Locally-elected FSA county committees implement ECP for all disasters other than drought, which is done by FSA's national office. Eligible producers receive cost-share assistance of up to 75 percent of the cost of approved practices, as determined by FSA county committees. The $20.1 million in ECP funds allocated today are from unused funds from various states. Among the 26 states receiving the funding announced today are Texas and Oklahoma, which are continuing to face drought and severe wildfire conditions. Texas will receive more than $3.9 million, while Oklahoma will receive over $2.7 million. FSA is allocating $20,142,400 in ECP funds to 26 states as follows: State County Disaster Type Amount Alabama Tallapoosa Tornado $10,000 Arkansas Baxter, Conway, Van Buren Tornado $220,100 Benton, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Columbia, Drew, Faulkner, Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Madison, Nevada, Ouachita, Perry, Polk, Sevier, Sharp, Union, Washington Drought $2,236,500 Arizona Coconino, Mohave, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai Flood $130,000 California Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Sonoma Flood $2,537,800 Colorado Garfield Wildfire $15,000 Connecticut Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, Windham Flood $210,000 Georgia Bibb, Carroll, Crawford, Fulton, Heard, Johnson, Peach, Pike Tornado $242,500 Colquitt, Thomas Flood $33,800 Harris, Heard, Marion, Peach, Talbot, Taylor Hurricane $195,000 Illinois Brown, Bureau, Cass, Cumberland, Fulton, Macoupin, McDonough, Menard, Morgan, Stark Drought $301,500 Indiana Shelby, Warrick Tornado $90,000 Kansas Atchison, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Shawnee Flood $930,000 Kentucky Adair, Bell, Breathitt, Bourbon, Boyle, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Estill, Fayette, Garrard, Green, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, McCreary, Menifee, Metcalfe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe Drought $2,666,100 Crittenden, Hart, Marshall Tornado $143,000 Maine Aroostook Flood $150,000 Massachusetts Bristol, Franklin, Plymouth Flood $225,000 Missouri Barry, Cedar, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, Monroe, Phelps, Polk, Ralls Drought $777,100 Dent, Oregon Tornado $80,000 Nevada Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Washoe Flood $311,000 New Hampshire Cheshire, Sullivan Flood $405,000 North Carolina Rutherford Flood $45,000 Ohio Washington Drought $85,000 Oklahoma Atoka, Bryan, Caddo, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Creek, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Haskell, Johnston, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Pottawatomie, Stephens, Tillman, Washington, Woodward Drought $1,883,000 Beaver, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Cotton, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Logan, Murray, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Woodard Wildfire $771,500 Caddo Flood $91,200 Pennsylvania Bedford, Centre, Clinton, Fulton Drought $79,000 Rhode Island Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington Flood $100,000 Tennessee Benton, Dickson, Henry, Montgomery, Roane Tornado $240,000 Macon, Van Buren, Warren, White Drought $425,000 Texas Bowie, Camp, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River, Titus, Wood Drought $1,916,800 Callahan, Donley, Eastland, Erath, Montague, Sterling Wildfire $2,012,500 Vermont Addison, Crittenden, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Washington Ice Storm $246,000 Caledonia, Orange, Windsor Snow Storm $30,000 Bennington Flood $15,000 Washington Columbia, Garfield Wildfires $293,000 TOTAL $20,142,400 Producers can contact their local FSA offices regarding ECP sign-up periods, which are set by the county FSA committees. For a producer's land to be eligible, the disaster must create new conservation problems that, if left untreated, would impair or endanger the land and affect its productive capacity. Conservation problems that existed before the applicable disasters are not eligible for ECP assistance. In addition, USDA has several other programs to help farmers and ranchers recover from damages caused by natural disasters. These programs include the Emergency Loan Program, Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. More information on ECP and other disaster assistance programs is available at local FSA offices and online at: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. # USDA News oc.news@xxxxxxxx 202 720-4623 ---------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to webservices@xxxxxxxx and reference your email address.
