Funding available for fire-damaged ag land

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has funding available to assist ag producers whose land was impacted by recent wildfires.
    Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, funding is available to help producers plan and implement conservation practices on farms and ranches impacted by natural disasters.
    Funding is available to assist in this wildfire recovery effort by planting cover crops on impacted cropland and to defer grazing on rangeland.
    “Numerous fires have impacted farmers and ranchers across Nebraska over the past several weeks leaving ground vulnerable to erosion,” said Rob Lawson, NRCS state conservationist.
    The program assists landowners with installing conservation practices to help prevent further damage to their agricultural land and aid in the recovery of rangeland productivity and soil health.
    “Our staff works one-on-one with landowners to assess the damage and develop approaches that lead to an effective recovery of the land,” Lawson said.
    The application sign-up for this wildfire assistance is open now and runs through June 30.
    All applications will be assessed, and even though some lands may be eligible for assistance, it is not guaranteed that all acres will receive financial assistance due to limited funding, he added.
    Interested landowners and operators should contact their local NRCS office in the USDA Service Center for applications and more information.