Drought

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Updated 6/20/07

Disaster Assistance

Weather related disasters can severely hurt the best run agricultural operation.  When disaster strikes, USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) can provide emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses.

 

Disaster designations originate with the governor making a request to the Secretary of Agriculture for a disaster designation.  FSA provides assistance by providing information regarding weather-related incidents to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.  FSA cannot initiate a request for a disaster designation.

 

When a county receives a disaster designation from the Secretary of Agriculture it immediately makes all qualified farm operators in primary and contiguous disaster counties eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met.  Applications for emergency loans must be received within eight months of the county's disaster designation date. 

 

You can download the complete document for "Securing A Disaster Declaration" 

 

Disaster assistance programs available include:

  • Emergency Loan Assistance - USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides emergency loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other naturals disasters, or quarantine.  http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/

  • Emergency Conservation Program - The Emergency Conservation Program provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures during periods of severe drought.  http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/
  • Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program - This program provides financial assistance for non-insurable crop losses and prevented planting as a result of natural disasters.  http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/
  • Public Works Trust Fund Emergency Loan - This program helps fund public works emergencies, helping to provide immediate restoration of critical public works services and facilities. www.pwb.wa.gov
  • Community Development Block Grant - This program provides grants to cities and counties for housing rehabilitation, economic development, infrastructure, community planning, and public services projects.  www.cted.wa.gov/portal/alias_CTED/lang_en/tabID_314/DesktopDefault.aspx