USDA offers aid to farmers, ranchers, communities ravaged by wildfires

Federal agency maintains an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced the availability of financial aid for farmers, ranchers and communities affected by the recent spate of Western wildfires, including the LNU Lightning Complex in Solano County and elsewhere across the North Bay.

When major disasters strike, the USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. The program takes effect when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the president under the Stafford Act, according to a press statement.

President Trump has announced federal disaster assistance for California, to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the wake of the fires.

The USDA also offers additional programs tailored to specific agricultural sectors to help producers weather the financial impacts of major disasters and rebuild their operations. If you need more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, contact the local USDA Service Center, 810 Vaca Valley Parkway in Vacaville, at 4480106, ext. 3.

Livestock owners and contract growers who experience above-normal animal deaths due to specific weather events, as well as to disease or animal attacks, may qualify for assistance under USDA’s Livestock

Indemnity Program. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov for more information.

Livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to a “qualifying drought condition or fire” on federally-managed land during the normal grazing period for a county may qualify for help through USDA’s Livestock Forage Disaster Program (visit www.fsa.usda. gov). Producers of noninsurable crops who suffer crop losses, lower yields or are prevented from planting agricultural commodities may be eligible for assistance under USDA’s Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (visit www.fsa.usda.gov).

The federal agency also can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and longterm support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Visit www.nrcs. usda.gov for more information. Assistance may also be available for emergency dead animal disposal from natural disasters and other causes.

Farmers and ranchers needing to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters can apply for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program (visit www.fsa. usda.gov). The department also has assistance available for eligible private forest landowners who need to restore forestland damaged by natural disasters through the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (visit www.fsa.usda.gov).

USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program (visit www.nrcs.usda.gov) can also help relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by fires and other natural disasters that undermine a watershed. Orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for assistance through USDA’s Tree Assistance Program (visit www. fsa.usda.gov) to help replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

Producers with coverage through the Risk Management Agency-administered federal crop insurance program should contact their crop insurance agent for issues in filing claims. Those who purchased crop insurance will be paid for covered losses.

Producers should report crop damage within 72 hours of discovering damage and follow up in writing within 15 days. As part of its commitment to delivering customer service, RMA is working closely with insurance providers that sell and service crop insurance policies to make sure enough loss adjusters will be available to process claims in the affected areas as quickly as possible. For those who need to, visit the RMA website, at www.rma.usda.gov, for more details.

Also helping with the long-term recovery of rural communities USDA Rural Development, at www. rd.usda.gov, has more than 50 programs available to rural and tribal communities to rebuild, repair or modernize rural infrastructure, including drinking and waste water systems, solid waste management, electric infrastructure, and essential community facilities such as public safety stations, health care centers and hospitals, and educational facilities.

Additionally, on Aug. 27, the department’s Food and Nutrition Service approved California’s waiver request to allow for the purchase of hot foods with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, formerly knows as food stamps, benefits in select counties. As many California residents are not able to store food or access cooking facilities, households in those counties can purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Sept. 23.

On Sept. 3, 2020, FNS also approved California’s request to issue automatic mass replacements of SNAP benefits to affected households. The waiver allows households in certain counties and ZIP codes to receive replacement of 50 percent of their August SNAP benefits as a result of wildfires and power outages that began on Aug. 17. For more information on either of these actions, contact the California Department of Social Services, at www.cdss.ca.gov or call 916-651-8848.

As of Wednesday, wildfires have burned nearly 7 million acres across 11 states, the USDA reported. More than 31,000 firefighters from the local, state and federal agencies are working to contain 61 large fires. The USDA Forest Service has more than 7,800 people committed to firefighting efforts along with air tankers, helicopters, and other air and ground resources.