USDA Offers Wildfire Recovery Assistance

USDA's Farm Service Agency offers disaster assistance and programs to assist you in your recovery efforts following wildfires or other qualifying natural disasters.

The Livestock Indemnity Program offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Producers are reminded to document all livestock deaths and/or euthanizations due to the wildfire by taking pictures and providing them to the FSA office. Producers must file a Notice of Loss within 30 days of the loss becoming apparent, and then file an application for payment within 60 days after the calendar year when loss occurred (March 1, 2022).

Emergency Assistance for Livestock provides emergency relief for losses due to feed shortages. Producers who have lost feed bales are encouraged to document the number of bales lost and take pictures of the damage. Producers must file a Notice of Loss within 30 days of the loss becoming apparent, and then file an application for payment by January 30, 2022.

The Emergency Conservation Program provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters, including fence loss. Please let the FSA office know of the miles of fence loss that occurred due to the wildfire.

For more information on these programs and to let the FSA know of any damage sustained, please contact the Russell County USDA Service Center at 785-483-5618 or visit fsa.usda.gov/disaster. With the short turnaround for application of payment for these programs, they urge producers to contact them as soon as possible.

(Information courtesy Russell County FSA.)