U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has announced farmers and ranchers will receive $77 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds to repair farmland damaged by natural disasters in 2008. According to Willie F. Cooper, state executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Louisiana, of the $77 million nationwide, $16 million has been allocated to eligible parishes in Louisiana for agricultural producers suffering from conservation damages due to hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Cooper stated eligible producers, nationwide, will be able to use the money to remove farmland debris, restore fences and repair conservation structures which were damaged by floods, tornadoes, storms, wildfires, and in Louisiana’s case, hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

The funds will allow farmers and ranchers to repair the several damage to conservation systems caused by disaster conditions from these hurricanes, a sell as the 2008 Midwest Floods, USDA’s Farm service Agency’s (FSA) Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters. Cooper said, “ECP participants will receive, for this disaster, cost-share assistance of up to 75 percent of the cost to implement approved emergency conservation practices such as debris removal and restoration of fences and conservation structures.”

The Emergency Conservation Program is administered by state and parish FSA committees and is subject to the availability of funds. Locally-elected county committees are authorized to implement ECP for all disasters except drought, which is authorized at the National Office of FSA.

As Cooper explained, “The Sign-Up Period” began in eligible Louisiana parishes Monday, November 17, and will continue for 60 calendar days, ending January 15, 2009.

Interested producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA Office for information in determining if their damaged farm and/or pastureland may be eligible for assistance under this program.