Assistance available for agricultural land damaged by Irma

Renee Bodine informed local Historic City News reporters that the application deadline for financial assistance under the special Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is December 28th.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has established a sign up between November 28th and December 28th to help agricultural producers who suffered damage from Hurricane Irma with financial and technical assistance.

Conservation practices available through EQIP funding specifically address natural resource concerns from hurricane, flood, and wind damage, and provide future protection from exceptional storm events.

St. Johns is one of the “declared disaster” counties that are eligible to apply for assistance under this sign-up.  Others include Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, and Volusia.

Farmers and ranchers seeking NRCS financial and technical assistance can sign up for EQIP at their local NRCS field office.