Farm Service Agency Is Accepting Emergency Forest Restoration Program Applications in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty Counties

GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 25, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Deborah Tannenbaum announced that four Florida counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address damages from the recent wildfires.

EFRP provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land to enable them to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster. EFRP sign-up begins on March 28, 2022, and ends on April 27, 2022.

NIPF landowners who suffered damage in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty Counties can apply at their local USDA Service Center.

“FSA is ready to help producers impacted by the wildfires,” said Tannenbaum. “I encourage eligible producers to contact their county office as soon as possible to make an appointment to apply.”

After applications are received, the Florida Forest Service will work with FSA to provide technical assistance by evaluating the damage and developing a plan to restore the NIPF land. The local FSA county committee will determine land eligibility and approve applications.  

To meet eligibility requirements, NIPF land must have existing tree cover or had tree cover immediately before the natural disaster occurred and be sustainable for growing trees. The land must also be owned by any nonindustrial private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity that has definitive decision-making authority over the land. The natural disaster must have resulted in damage that if untreated would impair or endanger the natural resources on the land and/or materially affect future use of the land.

For more information on EFRP, please contact your local FSA county office or visit https://www.farmers.gov/recover. To find your local office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locater.  

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