Hawaii County Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program Application Deadline Extension Announced

(HILO, Hawaii), November 24, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Hawaii County Executive Director Keisan Tamura announces a deadline extension to file applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the new deadline is January 11, 2022.  Applications for the Emergency Conservation Program are to address damages directly affected from the wildfire (disaster ID 1785) which occurred in the Waimea area on July 30, 2021. ECP signup will began on September 13, 2021, and will end on January 11, 2022.

The approved ECP practices under this authorization includes the following:

• Debris Removal
• Grading/Shaping
• Fencing Replacement
• Replacement of Conservation Structures (practice eligibility is determined by the Natural Resource Conservation Services)

ECP assists producers with the recovery cost to restore the farmland back to pre-disaster conditions. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farmers and ranchers may receive up to 90 percent cost-share.

Producers with damages from such events must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. Submitting an application after reconstructive work has been completed may not qualify 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.

The 2018 Farm Bill increased the payment limitation for ECP to $500,000 per disaster. The use of ECP funds is limited to activities to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance.

For more information on ECP, please contact Keisan Tamura at 808-933-8342 or visit farmers.gov/recover.