The Emergency Conservation Program will fund disaster relief projects in 26 states totally $71 million. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, announced the relief on Tuesday. The money will help repair farmland that has been affected by natural disasters, such as floods and hurricanes from 2008 and 2009.

According to the press release from the USDA, the money will be used to:

·         Remove farmland debris

·         Restore fences

·         Grade and shape land

·         Repair conservation structures

·         Carry out emergency water conservation measures

Vilsack said, “"USDA has always worked hand in hand with producers during disasters, and we will continue to do so throughout the recovery process." In order to become eligible for relief money, the natural disaster must have created conservation problems that, if untreated, would:

·         Impair or endanger the land

·         Materially affect the land's productive capacity

·         Represent unusual damage that, except for wind erosion, is not likely to recur frequently in the same area

·         Be so costly to repair that federal assistance is or will be required to return the land to productive agricultural use.

Kentucky is estimated to use the most of any state, $30 million, due to damage from ice storms. Because of flood damage in the Dakotas, North Dakota will receive $5.59 million and South Dakota will receive $1.07 million.

This link shows counties that will receive the relief money due to the natural disasters: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/ecpmap3.pdf

-Colvin