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USDA Approves Emergency Conservation Program Assistance for Allegany County

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that Allegany County is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from the flooding event that occurred May 13, 2025 through May 14, 2025. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions. ECP signup will begin on June 02, 2025, and ends on July 02, 2025.

“The Farm Service Agency can help producers recover from natural disasters that impacted your operation,” said CED Connie Stemple, FSA County Executive Director for Allegany and Garrett Counties. “If you have an immediate need to clean up and restore your operation, please call our office before beginning any restoration activities.”

 

Approved ECP practices include:

  • Removing debris from farmland,

  • Grading, shaping, releveling or similar measures,

  • Replacing or restoring permanent fences

  • Restoring conservation structures  and other installations

  • Other emergency conservation measures

 

Approved ECP applicants can receive up to 75% of the cost of the approved restoration activity with a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event.  

ECP cost share is authorized to:  

  • provide reimbursement of costs up to 75% of the total cost of rehabilitating the land, including availability of advance payments for up to 25% of the total allowable cost for all ECP practices before the restoration is carried out, an option that was previously only available for fence repair or replacement. The cost-share payment must be spent within 60 days; and   

  • allow producers who lease federally owned or managed lands, including tribal trust land, as well as state land, the opportunity to participate in ECP.  

 
Conservation concerns present on the land prior to the qualifying natural disaster event are not eligible for ECP assistance.  

More Information

For more information on ECP, producers can contact the Allegany County FSA Office at 240-609-3492 on Monday and Wednesdays, or reach staff at the Garrett County office at 301-501-5885, or visit farmers.gov/protection-recovery.

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FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.    

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

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EMERGENCY COMMODITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ECAP)

USDA Expediting $10 Billion in Direct Economic Assistance to Agricultural Producers:

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U.S. Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year.  Administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.

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Authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, these economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.  To streamline and simplify the delivery of ECAP, FSA will begin sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports to FSA for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities soon after the signup period opens on March 19, 2025.  Producers do not have to wait for their pre-filled ECAP application to apply.  They can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office to request an application.  Applications will be accepted through August 15, 2025.

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Contact Allegany Farm Service Agency at 240-609-3492.  Their office is open on Wednesday's from 9:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

CALL TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IF YOUR LOCAL TO ALLEGANY FSA!

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Garrett County FSA is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Their phone number is 301-501-5885.  

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