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IDALS: $360,000 available to repair damaged iowa conservation practices

By Staff | Nov 4, 2011

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey last week announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has $360,000 available to help repair conservation practices damaged by storm events during the 2011 crop year.

The funding is available in 60 counties that were granted disaster designation by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The designation applies to 27 Iowa counties that were affected by severe storms, excessive rain and flooding during the 2011 crop year; plus 33 contiguous counties are also covered by the designation.

“Much of Iowa was negatively impacted by severe weather this summer,”?Northey said, “and as a result damage to conservation practices was also widespread.

“I encourage farmers with practices that need repair to work with their local Soil and Water Conservation District office. It’s important these practices are repaired so they continue keeping the soil on the farm and out of our lakes and rivers.”

The maximum cost share rate for repairing practices will be 75 percent.

The deadline to apply for the repair funding is Dec. 30 and all repairs must be complete by June 30, 2012.

Eligible Soil and Water Conservation District offices will begin offering funding to repair conservation practices in the 60 counties immediately on a first-come, first-served basis.

The $360,000 is the funding still remaining from the $6.5 million IDALS received in 2009 from the state bonding plan to support conservation efforts.

The 27 counties included in this declaration are Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Henry, Jefferson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Mahaska, Marshall, Mills, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Tama, Taylor, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington, Wayne and Woodbury.

The additional 33 counties were named as contiguous disaster counties include Adams, Appanoose, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Buchanan, Cass, Cedar, Cherokee, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grundy, Hardin, Harrison, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Muscatine, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Story, Union and Warren.