A flood and high winds caused severe damage May 1 in Sandy River watershed areas of the county.

Those who have suffered severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Franklin County Farm Service Agency, according to a news release from the agency.

For land to be eligible, the natural disaster must create new conservation problems that, if untreated, would:

• Be so costly to rehabilitate that federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use;

• Is unusual and is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area;

• Affect the productive capacity of the farmland; and

• Impair or endanger the land.

Those who qualify for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75% of the eligible cost of restoration measures. Eligible socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers can receive up to 90% of the eligible cost of restoration. No one is eligible for more than $500,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence.

If one suffered a loss from a natural disaster, contact the local FSA County Office and request assistance.

To be eligible for assistance, practices must not be started until all of the following are met:

• An application for cost-share assistance has been filed;

• The local FSA County Committee or its representative has conducted an onsite inspection of the damaged area; and

• The agency responsible for technical assistance, such as the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), has made a needs determination, which may include cubic yards of earthmoving required for rehabilitation.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, FSA must complete an environmental compliance review prior to producers taking any actions.

For more information about ECP, call the Franklin County USDA Service Center at 207-778-2788 ext. 2 or visit fsa.usda.gov.

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