Assistance available for Nebraska farmers and ranchers impacted by wildfire

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has funding available to assist agricultural producers whose land was impacted by recent wildfires. Landowners have until August 19 to apply.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding is available to help producers plan and implement conservation practices on farms and ranches impacted by natural disasters. EQIP funding is available to assist in this wildfire recovery effort by planting cover crops on impacted cropland and to defer grazing on rangeland.

“Numerous fires have impacted farmers and ranchers across Nebraska leaving ground vulnerable to erosion,” said Rob Lawson, state conservationist for NRCS. “We can assist landowners with installing conservation practices to help prevent any further damage to their agricultural land and aid in the recovery of rangeland productivity and soil health.”

Lawson encourages landowners whose agricultural operations were impacted by wildfire to visit their local NRCS field office.

“NRCS can help with recovery efforts,” Lawson said. “Our staff works one-on-one with landowners to assess the damage and develop approaches that lead to an effective recovery of the land.”

The application signup for this wildfire assistance is happening now and will run through August 19, 2022. Applications will be assessed, and even though some lands may be eligible for assistance, it is not guaranteed that all acres will receive financial assistance due to limited funding.

Interested landowners and operators should contact their local NRCS office in the USDA Service Center for applications and more information.