Emergency Conservation Program will address emergency measures due to excess snow over the winter

Clark and Codington County Farm Service Agency Executive Director Jennie Budahl and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced that all counties in South Dakota will be accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address emergency measures needed due to the excess snow realized during the winter of 2022-2023.

ECP signup periods will be stablished by each county committee. The following signup dates have been established for the Northeast area.Beadle County — began June 14, 2023, and ends August 11, 2023.

Clark County — began June 7, 2023, and ends July 7, 2023.

Codington County — began June 12, 2023, and ends July 12, 2023.

Day County — began June 8, 2023, and ends Aug. 7, 2023.

Deuel County — begins June 14, 2023, and ends July 14, 2023.

Grant County — began June 5, 2023, and ends July 14, 2023.

Hamlin County — begins June 21, 2023, and ends July 21, 2023.

Kingsbury County — begins June 21, 2023, and ends July 21, 2023.

Spink County — begins June 20, 2023, and ends Aug. 1, 2023.

The approved ECP practices under this authorization corrects damage to fences caused by natural disasters. This includes the replacement of or restoration of permanent fences that were in good working condition prior to the storm. The repairs or replacement may be eligible if it was considered above a normal year’s repair or replacement.ECP assists producers with the recovery cost to restore the agricultural land to pre-disaster conditions. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of the approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost-share.

“Dealing with natural disasters is never easy, especially when you are in the process of trying to plant this year’s crop or deliver grazing animals to pasture, but it’s important for producers to call our office before they take any action,” said Budahl.

Producers with damage from such events must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. Submitting an application after reconstructive work has been completed may not qualify for ECP.

FSA County Committees will evaluate applications based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the damage. An on-site inspection does not guarantee that cost-share funding will be provided.

The 2018 Farm Bill increased the payment limitation for ECP to $500,000 per disaster. The use of ECP funds is limited to activities to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance.

For more information on ECP, please contact your local FSA Office, or visit farmers.gov/recover.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Codington County Farm Service Agency accepting ECP applications