Fence Building Cost-share Funding Made Available

Fence Building Cost-share Funding Made Available

To Producers in the 13th District

(Amarillo) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) action will provide the Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA) with more than $8 million for a cost-share program which can help producers rebuild or repair fences destroyed in the recent wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Funding will be funneled through the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), which is administered by each county's FSA office.

Congressman Mac Thornberry (TX-13) said the ECP assistance responds to an urgent need.

"Estimates of total losses are still coming in, but getting help in rebuilding burned fences has been a consistent request from the folks affected by the wildfires," said Thornberry.

ECP provides assistance to producers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and implement other emergency conservation measures as authorized by the local FSA county committee. Producers should check with their local county FSA offices regarding ECP sign-up, eligibility, conservation practices covered, and the amount of cost-share available.

"While the ECP funding coupled with the recent announcements on CRP haying and grazing are good steps in the right direction, I will continue to work with USDA and Congress to get more ECP funding as well as compensation for livestock killed in the fires," Thornberry said.

http://www.house.gov/thornberry/news_releases/2006/March/AMA_Fence%2003-24-06.htm