In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene , which devastate residential area , homes , farms and businesses across parts of the Southeast , the U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) has deployed staff to assist with reaction and recovery endeavor . USDA is also putting in station contingence plans and program flexibility to assure farmers , and C. S. Forester and communities are able to get the bread and butter they need . USDA is share selective information today to facilitate impacted citizenry learn about resource that may be available to them .
On Thursday , Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux traveled to Florida and Georgia with President Biden to appraise damage and encounter with farmers and residents in the wake of the storm . In remark , Secretary Vilsack highlighted that USDA is claim measure like extending program signup opportunities and using discharge and emergency process to expedite recovery sweat on America ’s workings lands . The department has also deployed 190 faculty , including many from the U.S. Forest Service , to help with response efforts , to let in the remotion of dust from route .
Leaders with USDA ’s Farm Service Agency ( FSA ) , Natural Resources Conservation Service ( NRCS ) , and Risk Management Agency ( RMA ) will hold a virtual briefing on Monday , Oct. 7 at 11 ante meridiem EDT for agricultural producers and stakeholders to partake information on disaster aid programs for agricultural performance . Visit farmers.gov/hurricane for details on how to join .
Through the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance internet , USDA also partner with several organizations to offer mental health resources . Anyone in penury of extra support in light of stressful circumstances is encouraged to get hold of the Southern Ag Exchange internet Farmer Support Hotline at 888 - 381 - 7243 , which is available 24/7 .
hasten Crop Insurance PaymentsUSDA count on there are more than 38,000 harvest insurance policies , overlay more than 4.8 million estate , in place in the moved surface area . USDA has instruct craw insurance companies to hasten red ink adjustments that are necessary to make requital , and we carry payments to be made within 30 days . If you have Federal crop insurance , contact your harvest insurance agent as soon as crop or farm animal release are apparent .
Documenting and Reporting LossesUSDA prompt producers to document harm and losses , including pile up farm records , herd stocktaking , receipts and pictures of damage or losses . USDA advise livestock producer to document livestock numbers by take sentence and date - stamp video or scene of injury or loss , to the extent potential . USDA asks producers to describe harvest , livestock and farm infrastructure losses to FSA at your local USDA Service Center . Producers can call the FSA Hotline for aid if their local Service Center is currently closed .
Flexibilities for Disaster Assistance ProgramsIn addition to RMA ’s Union crop policy flexibilities , FSA has added flexibilities to several programs . A full list of FSA disaster help programs is usable on the Hurricane webpage on farmers.gov .
To help hasten help through the Emergency Conservation Program ( ECP ) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program ( EFRP ) , FSA has taken the following measures :
extend ECP and EFRP signup that begins Oct. 15 , 2024 , and ladder through June 1 , 2025 , in states affected by Hurricane Helene .
Executed Emergency Response ( ER-850 ) sanction of emergency National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) circumstances to hasten FSA approving of practices take control surface debris remotion , fence restoration and non - ground distressing activeness . release of onsite inspection requirement for non - engineering practice for ECP and EFRP.Waiver of demand for producers to obtain prior approval to conduct surface debris removal , fence repair and jeopardy tree diagram remotion to confirm critical catastrophe recovery efforts . Producers should adjoin FSA for any questions on permissible activities . to boot , the Livestock Indemnity Program ( LIP ) provides benefits to stock owners and contract grower for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality induce by eligible loss conditions including eligible adverse atmospheric condition . FSA has issued guidance to FSA County Committees and local stave to exercise maximum flexibleness in see satisfactory loss documentation and to ensure sass applications are acted on apropos .
Through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock , Honeybees , and Farm - Raised Fish Program ( ELAP ) , FSA provides assistance to possessor of farm animal , and producers of honeybees and farm - fire Pisces for feed and death exit due to an eligible natural disaster event . FSA is provide help to help insure above normal costs to transport livestock to feed and/or transfer feed / forage to livestock in hurricane - impacted United States Department of State , and assistance to help cover above normal costs to cart water to livestock in hurricane - impacted states .
The Tree Assistance Program ( TAP ) provides fiscal cost - share help to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or , where applicable , rehabilitate eligible trees , bushes and vine lost by natural catastrophe . FSA has extended aid to trees , George H.W. Bush and vine that have not died but are no longer equal to of production ( not economically practicable ) . This assistance program complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program ( NAP ) or Union harvest policy reporting , which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all case .
Under NAP , FSA has foreswear the 72 - 60 minutes notification requirement on mitt harvest crop , run deadline to file a Notice of Loss , and provided flexibleness for FSA staff to do expiration modification activities and/or throw overboard field inspections in cases where the causa of release can be verify through other agency .
For producers with Marketing Assistance Loans ( MAL ) , FSA is provide additional time for producers to render commodities to a buyer to come back MALs with sales event proceeds and table MAL foreclosure letter applicable to losses or wrong due to hurricane for up to 90 calendar 24-hour interval .
USDA ’s Natural Resources Conservation Service ( NRCS ) also offers recovery options for producer through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program ( EQIP ) and for residential area through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program ( EWP ) . Learn more on the NRCS Disaster Recovery web page .
Nutrition AssistanceUSDA ’s Food and Nutrition Service , at states ' request , has already issued flexibilities and waivers for its many aliment programs in Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Ohio , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , and West Virginia , in society to help oneself emergency meal providers reach more people quickly . USDA is quick to issue extra tractableness upon asking . More selective information on those retrieval and aid efforts can be found on the FNS Disaster Assistance web page .
For more information : USDATel : +1 ( 202 ) 720 - 2791Email:[email protected]Website : www.usda.govTwitterFacebookLinkedIn
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