Fire recovery resources available

Producers with rangeland affected by the fire — whether pastures, shelters and water sources were burned, disturbed by firebreaks or traffic from firefighting equipment, or stressed by overuse from changes in grazing rotation and drought — can get help from local sources.

Montana State University Extension agents, USDA Natural Resources and Conservation offices, the Northern Agricultural Research Center and county weed districts can provide information on rangeland recovery, or point producers in the direction of the best help.

To find out what programs are available for material and financial support, producers can contact the USDA Farm Services Agency or Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation about the following information.

FSA

Even before the fire, Hill County producers were approved for FSA’s Livestock Forage Program based on the drought throughout the region and ranchers affected by fire would be covered, said Les Rispens, executive director of the Hill County FSA Office

“Participation typically among livestock producers is lower than among the farming community,” Rispens said, but “hopefully we can get livestock producers a little more comfortable.”

The Livestock Forage Program gives cash payment to ranchers based on lost grazing — as long as the producer reported last fall having grass land used for grazing.

Rispens also said he received word Sept. 25 that Hill County was approved for the Emergency Conservation Program that is targeted directly at producers impacted by the fire. It provides 75 percent cost-share assistance toward the recovery of conservation assets. This includes fences and livestock water facilities, like spring development, lost in fire, as well as some help with shelter areas.

That gives them a little bit of assistance getting the ground ready to be used for grazing when the grass grows back next spring, he said.

Emergency Livestock Assistance Program pays for lost grazing due to fire, Rispens said, and that actually is a direct calculation of how many acres they lost and how many cows that land might carry.

ELAP also assists people who lost haystacks in the fire with the cost of replacing that feed and, if during this coming winter they have to purchase feed above their normal levels of purchase, it will provide some assistance to them to help defray those costs, he said.

Rispens said he is also working on one more program, Emergency Forestry Restoration Program, which will help with replanting trees and shrubs to re-establish habitat and livestock shelter.

Livestock producers, historically, were not included in farm bills and only received ad hoc program assistance, but this has changed to their benefit in the past seven or eight years, Rispens said.

Replacing feed and fences and watering systems can cost several thousand dollars, even if supplies are donated, he said, but the livestock community now has access to programs that can ease this economic hit.

“It’s a real economic loss, and I hope that people can see that these programs are — you know they all pay taxes to support these programs and from time to time when you need to collect on them that’s what they’re there for,” Rispens said, adding that they “pay taxes over the years of their lifetime, paying taxes to support these programs. They’ve helped other people and now it’s their turn to receive some assistance and help get their ground back into production and get their livestock operations back up and producing.”

Rispens said he will be sending information to producers hit by the East Fork Fire to let them know what programs are available and invite them to a meeting that will cover all those programs available. In the meantime, he said, people can contact him at 265-6792, ext. 2.

DNRC

For ranchers considering a loan to make rangeland improvements, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is offering reduced interest rates for Rangeland Improvement Loans, down from 3 percent to 1.5 percent.

“It’s been a challenging summer for our farmers and ranchers,” said Stacey Barta, Rangeland Resources program coordinator with DNRC in a press release. “The state’s Rangeland Resources Executive Committee requested the interest rate reduction to support producers dealing with the impacts of wildfires and drought.”

The low-interest loan program covers rangeland improvement and development projects such as water storage, fencing and stock water tanks. Barta said the projects often improve streams and riparian areas and rangeland health, which in turn benefit wildlife, combat invasive weeds and reduce soil erosion.

The maximum loan amount is $75,000, with repayment scheduled for a maximum of 10 years with annual installments, the release said.

Producers apply to their local Conservation District; the application is then reviewed by DNRC.

For more details, contact Bill Herbolich with DNRC at 406-444-6668, or visit  http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/cardd/conservation-districts/range-improvement-loan-program.