California growers dealing with flood damage from storms this year have assistance opportunities available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding support for farmers and ranchers is being made available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). An announcement of $1 million was made as an initial investment in helping agricultural producers address flood-related damage.
“NRCS in California is committed to assisting agricultural producers recover from these recent, devasting rain events, and this initial $1 million investment will help get farmers back to farming,” NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez said in a press release.
The announcement of the support was made after a tour of urban and rural communities that experienced varying levels of damage from recent storms. Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, and NRCS Chief Terry Cosby all participated in the tour. The delegation visited multiple sites in San Diego County, which included two agricultural operations near the Tijuana River that were damaged due to recent flooding events.
NRCS is also highlighting other initiatives that are available to help communities mitigate the risks of flood damage. The Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) is a recovery effort to address imminent hazards caused by floods and other natural disasters. “EWP allows us to work with local sponsors to help damaged watersheds so that lives and property are protected, while preventing further devastation in the community,” said Suarez.
The EWP Program provides funding for emergency measures, covering up to 75 percent of construction costs with local contributions in cash or in-kind services. Eligible projects include addressing debris-clogged waterways, unstable streambanks, erosion-threatening infrastructure, and wind-borne debris removal. Sponsors, including cities, counties, tribes, or tribal organizations, must request assistance within 60 days of the disaster occurrence and agree to project management responsibilities.
Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West