Environmental Improvement

Programs

Nevada NRCS Wildfire Rehabilitation Program

Funds Available to Help Ranchers Recover from Wildfire

Nevada ranchers affected by wildfire can apply for special funds to help restore private rangeland. The deadline to apply is Sept. 28.

“We are offering agricultural producers whose private rangelands have been damaged by wildfires an opportunity to participate in a special Fire Rehabilitation Program,” said Richard Vigil, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

According to Vigil, private landowners who sustained damage from wildfire in 2007 may be eligible for cost-share practices or a one-time incentive payment up to $25 per acre. This payment is intended to partially reimburse landowners for replacing fence, reestablishing livestock watering facilities, stabilizing grades, protecting streambanks and allowing for the recovery of natural vegetation through prescribed grazing.

“Producers must meet certain eligibility requirements,” said Rod Dahl, NRCS resource specialist, “and the information needed to determine eligibility must be submitted to the local NRCS office by Sept. 28.”

Producers must agree to defer grazing for at least one season to receive funding, Dahl added. No more than 5,000 acres of grazing land can be enrolled per agricultural operation in this special initiative.

For more information, contact your local NRCS office.

Information and Forms

These forms are available in Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word formats.

Wildfire Rehabilitation Fact Sheet (PDF;)
Sign-up Checklist (PDF;)
NV-LTP-3 Fire Grazing Determination Form (DOC;)
Waiver Letter (DOC;)
News Release (DOC;)
Nevada Bulletin 300-7-1 Wildfire Special Funding Project (DOC;)

Wildfire Special Project Timeline—The Nevada NRCS wildfire rehabilitation project began accepting applications on August 27, 2007. Any EQIP-eligible land damaged by a documented 2007 wildfire in Nevada will be eligible for the program (eligibility does not guarantee funding). EQIP eligible producers are encouraged to apply. The application cut-off date for this funding pool is September 28, 2007. Any application received after this date will be retained for consideration if other funding pools or batching periods are offered.

Deadline Date	Item	Required Actions
Immediately	Application Period	Producers—must go to the local NRCS field office and submit an EQIP application. Producers need to work with NRCS and FSA to ensure that all eligibility documentation is submitted. NRCS—will immediately begin accepting applications and provide initiative information in the form of the EQIP Wildfire Special Project Packet to the producers.
Sept. 27, 2007	Application Cut-off	NRCS—will evaluate and rank all eligible applications received by September 28, 2007. Producers—must work with NRCS to effectively determine eligible acres and total grazing land acres of the agricultural operation. Producers need to clearly understand the deferred grazing requirement on contracted acres until October 1, 2008, which includes the completion of the attachments to NV-300-7-5, available from the NRCS office. Producers—must submit an EQIP application that includes all NRCS and FSA eligibility forms to NRCS and FSA by 4:30 PM (PDT) on September 28, 2007. FSA eligibility must be completed by October 19, 2007. Late applications will not be eligible for funding in the first funding pool.
Oct. 19, 2007	Application Evaluation Cut-off	NRCS—will evaluate and rank all eligible applications by October 19, 2007. All applicant eligibility issues must be cleared by this date or the application is ineligible for consideration.
Oct. 26, 2007	Contracts Completed	NRCS—will make funding decisions at the state office and designate pre-approved applications in ProTracts. (Timing for finalization of contracts and the obligation of funds will depend on FY2008 appropriations.)
Nov. 2, 2007	Contracts Approved	NRCS—will notify applicants of their approval. Producers—submit “Waiver to Start Vegetative Practices”. This form must be submitted and approved before the contract can be obligated and any vegetative practice is installed.
December 31, 2007	Final Contracting Deadline	Producers—vegetative practices completed. Work with NRCS to ensure that this deadline is met.

Last Modified: 05/20/2008