Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to aid recovery efforts for farmers, ranchers and residents affected by recent wildfires in the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma. To date, around 1.3 million acres have burned across both states. USDA staff are ready to respond with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to agricultural producers and communities in need.
“At USDA, we know all too well the devastation catastrophic wildfires like these can cause to homes, communities and livelihoods,” said Secretary Vilsack. “As the fires are contained and damage assessed, know that USDA is working with our state partners to deliver support and assistance to those affected. We will do everything we can to support farmers, ranchers, and impacted communities on the long road to recovery.”
Right now, the USDA Forest Service has more than 200 personnel on the ground helping with wildfire suppression. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency have also held informational sessions in the towns of Borger and Canadian, Texas, covering available assistance for impacted ranchers, livestock producers and landowners. Given the scope of the fires, recovery will likely take many months, and USDA plans to host additional informational sessions going forward.
When a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the president under the Stafford Act, USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. USDA also offers additional programs tailored to the needs of specific agricultural sectors to help producers weather the financial impacts of major disasters and rebuild their operations.
Farm Service Agency programs for affected producers include the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), which provides assistance for livestock losses due to wildfire in excess of normal mortality, and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), which provides compensation for grazing and feed losses, transportation of water and feed to livestock, and hauling livestock to grazing acres. Livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to a qualifying drought condition or fire on federally managed land during the normal grazing period for a county may also qualify for help through USDA’s Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Producers of non-insurable crops who suffer crop losses, lower yields or are prevented from planting agricultural commodities may be eligible for assistance under USDA's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program if the losses were due to natural disasters. Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance should provide a notice of loss to their agent within 72 hours of initial discovery of damage and follow up in writing within 15 days.
USDA has authorized policy flexibilities for several key disaster assistance programs, including LIP and ELAP, to aid agricultural producers who have experienced significant livestock, feed, forage, and infrastructure loss from recent wildfires. Flexibilities include reimbursement for feed costs and hauling and accepting additional types of records for death loss documentation.
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