Clarendon is one of 29 counties eligible to apply for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program to address flood damage.
The program, which is being offered by the state U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest land to enable the owners to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster. A news release states that the deadline to sign-up is May 30.
"It is important that producers apply for EFRP assistance because program funds will be allocated based on the number of applications received as well as by on-site inspections that will determine the extent of the damage," said acting South Carolina FSA Executive Director W. Jack Nettles. "I encourage eligible landowners who haven't participated in FSA programs to contact their local county FSA office as soon as possible because FSA records will have to be created for these individuals."
After applications are received, South Carolina Forestry Commission will provide technical assistance by evaluating the damage and developing a plan to restore the land, and the local FSA county committee will determine land eligibility and approve applications.
In order to be eligible, the 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 or materially affect future use of the land, the release said. Individuals may receive as much as 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoring the damage. The minimum qualifying cost of restoration is $1,000 per participant, on approximately five acres, unless a waiver is requested and approved.
For more information, visit disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
