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Department of Conservation and Recreation
This article was originally featured in the Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP) Spring 2025 Quarterly newsletter (PDF) published by the Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University.
New River Trail State Park cleanup in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
If you were a farmer impacted by damage from Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible for financial relief through your local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD).
The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board has made $2.7 million available to help repair and replace agricultural best management practices damaged by Helene. Three options are available through June 1 to farmers in Southwest Virginia:
Option 1: 25% reimbursement for repairs. A producer is eligible for up to 25% of the estimated cost of the repair or replacement of a practice calculated using the average cost list, or the actual cost of the repair or replacement, whichever is less, if the producer provides documentation they have applied for financial assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) or the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with the following conditions:
Option 2: Continuing Conservation Initiative. If a producer chooses to repair or replace a practice and the repairs or replacement do not meet the applicable Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share (VACS) Program standards, but the practice remains functional, the producer is eligible for a Continuing Conservation Initiative (CCI) practice with the following conditions:
Option 3: Reset VACS practice lifespan. If a producer is willing to enter into a newly reset lifespan requirement for the practice in need of repair or replacement, the producer will be eligible for the VACS cost-share rate established for the equivalent VACS practice with the following conditions:
A list of eligible localities and conditions for assistance are available at: dcr.virginia.gov/hurricane-helene-resources.
Farmers should first contact their USDA’s Farm Service Agency office to see if they’re eligible for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and then their local SWCD. A directory of SWCDs is available on DCR’s website: dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds.
The Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP), a part of Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University, educates and empowers small, limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers to own, operate and sustain farms and ranches independently with agricultural training programs that improve farm management skills and quality of life. Reach out to the Virginia Small Farm Outreach Program directly at (804) 524-3292 or smallfarm@vsu.edu.
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Soil and Water Conservation
