Ohio, along with 20 other states, will share in approximately $8 million allocated for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). Agricultural producers that realized losses that occurred due to severe weather events during calendar year 2003, will now receive some financial assistance through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The counties of Auglaize, Mercer, Columbiana, and Mahoning have applications already on file at their FSA office, for damages that occurred in 2003. The 2003 ECP funding is currently available because allocations in other states were unused during previous years. This financial assistance will partially compensate farmers and ranchers in the rehabilitation of agricultural lands.
ECP funds help producers remove debris from farmland, restore fences and conservation structures, provide water for livestock, and reshape farmland damaged by natural disaster conditions. Locally elected county committees are authorized to implement this type of ECP funding. Eligible producers that have applied for ECP will receive cost-share assistance of up to 75 percent for practices approved by the FSA county committee.