May 31 Deadline Set for Fire-Affected Landowners to Apply for USDA Watershed Assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service in New Mexico has been working with local sponsor Lincoln County to assist landowners affected by the South Fork Fire and/or the Salt Fire of June 17, 2024, through the USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP). The Lincoln County Commission has set a May 31, 2025, deadline for EWP applications for landowners still seeking assistance protecting their property from damage done in the South Fork incident.
You can complete the form at https://scmrcd.org/landowner-request-for-assistance-form/ or contact Laura Doth at 575-446-3973.
More Information Following natural disasters, the EWP program is available to eligible local sponsors: a legal subdivision of the state, such as a state agency, county, city, town, soil and water conservation district, or an Indian Tribe or a Tribal organization. The program aims to relieve imminent hazards to life and structures/infrastructure caused by floods, fires, storms, and other natural occurrences. EWP is an emergency recovery program. The USDA NRCS does not provide EWP assistance directly to private property owners with the exception of floodplain easements. All projects undertaken that include public and private properties must have a project sponsor.
EWP is designed for the installation of emergency measures to protect lives, structures, and infrastructure. Typical activities include providing financial and technical assistance to:
• Remove hazardous debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges
• Stabilize erosion threatening structures and infrastructure EWP work is not limited to any one set of prescribed measures.
A case-by-case investigation of the work is made by NRCS and has been completed for the South Fork incident.
To get answers to your questions about EWP in New Mexico, contact David Griego, Resource Conservationist and NRCS New Mexico EWP Manager at (505) 761-4430 or David.Griego@usda.gov.
Source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/bulletins/3df920f
