An EF0 tornado touched down March 3, 2020 causing severe damage in the southwestern portion of Morgan County.  Farms and ranches suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) administered by the Fentress/Morgan/Scott Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office if the damage:

• Will be so costly to rehabilitate that Federal assistance is or will be needed to return the land to productive agricultural use
• Is unusual and is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area
• Affect the productive capacity of the farmland
• Will impair or endanger the land

A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may receive cost-share levels not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures. No producer is eligible for more than $ 200,000 cost sharing per natural disaster occurrence. The following types of measures may be eligible:

• Removing debris from farmland
• Restoring permanent fences

Producers who have suffered a loss from the EF0 tornado of March 3, 2020  may contact the local FSA county office and request assistance. Signup for program benefit begins April 9, 2020 and ends on June 9, 2020.

FSA county committees will complete an evaluation of submitted requests and obligate available funds based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the eligible damage. Completion of the on-site inspection does not guarantee that cost-share funding will be allocated.

The use of obligated funds is limited to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance.

Please contact the Fentress/Morgan/Scott FSA office for additional information and to set up an appointment to begin the application process. You may reach us by calling (931) 879-7917 ext. 2 or toll free 888-326-0141 ext. 2. You may also email us at: [email protected]  or [email protected]