From hurricanes, floods or drought, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides disaster recovery assistance to farmers, ranchers, landowners and communities through a variety of USDA programs.
One way help can be provided is through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). It can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, and non-industrial private forestland. Practices can include:
- Immediate soil erosion protection
- Minimizing noxious and invasive plant proliferation
- Protecting water quality
- Restoring livestock infrastructure necessary for grazing management
- Emergency animal mortality management
NRCS can also assist impacted communities by providing technical information to help them repair damaged farms and ranches in the wake of a natural disaster. NRCS conservationists can offer advice on preventing future erosion, covering and protecting exposed soil, improving soil health, directing floodwater away from areas vulnerable to erosion, preventative wildfire measures, and more.
Plus, when natural disasters strike, the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program offers vital recovery options for local communities to help people reduce hazards to life and property.
Project funds address erosion related watershed impairments by supporting activities such as removing debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges; reshaping and protecting eroded banks; correcting damaged drainage facilities; repairing levees and structures; and reseeding damaged areas. Sponsors must submit a formal request (via mail or email) to the state conservationist for assistance within 60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access to the sites become available.
If you are an agricultural producer affected by a disaster, please contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.