Emergency Forest Restoration Help Approved

TYLER – Smith, Upshur, and Gregg County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Chris Lynn has announced that 16 Texas counties — including Smith, Upshur and Gregg — were approved to accept applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address drought and wildfire damages. EFRP provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land to enable the owners to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster. EFRP sign-up in all 16 counties will begin on April 9, 2012, and end on April 29, 2012. At this time, Texas has not received a dollar allocation. The allocation will be announced at the end of the sign-up period after applications are received.

“It is important that producers apply for EFRP assistance timely 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 Lynn. “I encourage eligible land owners who haven’t participated in FSA programs to contact the Smith County FSA office as soon as possible because FSA records will have to be created for these individuals,” he said.

After applications are received, the Texas Forest Service will provide technical assistance by evaluating the damage and developing a plan to restore the NIPF land. The local FSA county committee will determine land eligibility and approve applications.

In order to meet eligibility requirements, NIPF 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 and/or materially affect future use of the land. You can contact the Smith County FSA office at 903 561-2050 X2 for more information. The Smith County FSA Office is located at 4209 Republic Dr., Tyler, Texas 75701.