Emergency drought assistance program opens for Floyd County livestock producers
The program allows emergency livestock water to be installed on farms that are experiencing dry/underperforming wells, dried springs, dried ponds, and more as a result of the drought.
Commercial livestock operations in Floyd County can apply for assistance to address water supply loss caused by recent drought conditions through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).
ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-drought conditions experienced May 19 through Sept. 11. ECP signup ends on Nov. 13.
“FSA can help producers and landowners recover from natural disasters that impacted their operation,” said Derek Pruitt, FSA County Executive Director for Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties. “If you have an immediate need to restore your operation, please call our office before beginning any restoration activities in order to determine program eligibility and to request restoration practice approval before taking any action.”
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The program allows emergency livestock water to be installed on farms that are experiencing dry/underperforming wells, dried springs, dried ponds, and more as a result of the drought. It follows the same format as the other FSA cost-share programs, where producers front the cost of implementation and are paid back after installation and inspection is completed. Approved ECP applicants can receive up to 75% of the cost of the approved restoration activity with a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event.
Pruitt said the last time the ECP was utilized was for flooding conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. He noted it hasn’t been activated for drought conditions in “a long time… maybe 30 years.”
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Eligibility and more
Producers with damage from qualifying natural disaster events must apply for ECP assistance before beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. A waiver can be requested for necessary activities that are taken as emergency action to prevent further loss. Producers who apply after reconstructive work has been completed are at risk of not qualifying 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. More Information
To learn more about ECP, producers can contact the New River Valley FSA Office at (540) 585-3651 or visit www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery.
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