Iowa Producers are advised to file an application for emergency conservation assistance before repairing farmland damage due to wind, water erosion, and floods, says Iowa Farm Service Agency State Director Derryl McLaren.

“To be eligible for possible emergency conservation assistance, producers must file an application and have an FSA employee visit the site before starting repairs,” McLaren said. “If you have farmland with flood, wind, or water erosion damage, report it to your local FSA office as soon as possible.”

Submitting an application does not guarantee assistance, but keeps a producer eligible should assistance become available in the future.

McLaren added, FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program provides cost-share assistance to agricultural producers who have suffered severe damage to their farmland as a result of a natural disaster, including wind, water erosion and floods. The assistance is provided to producers that have suffered damage of such magnitude that it would be too costly for the producer to rehabilitate without federal assistance.

Some types of damage that may be covered by ECP include removing debris from farmland; grading, shaping and leveling land that has been damaged; restoring certain permanent fences; and restoring conservation structures such as grassed waterways, diversions and terraces.

Conservation structures or practices originally installed with assistance from NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program are not eligible for ECP assistance. Producers with this type of damage should contact their local NRCS office for assistance.

For more information regarding ECP assistance or other FSA programs and services, contact your local USDA Service Center.