Fischer, NE Delegation Request Swift Wildfire Assistance from USDA

WASHINGTON - T oday, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and U.S. Representatives Mike Flood (NE-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Adrian Smith (NE-03) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on the immediate need for a wildfire disaster designation for Garden, Grant, Lincoln, and Morrill counties in Nebraska, following the fires this spring.

Read the letter below:

Dear Secretary Rollins:

We write in support of the Nebraska Farm Service Agency's (FSA) request for a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wildfire disaster designation for Garden, Grant, Lincoln, and Morrill counties, following the devastating wildfires this spring.

The Morrill, Cottonwood, Ashby, and Minor Fires collectively burned over 800,000 acres across Nebraska, with the Morrill Fire burning over 640,000 acres alone. Extreme drought, high temperatures, and high winds created the perfect environment for mass destruction across central and western Nebraska.

As it is two months following the fires, many producers are in need of additional help to recover and rebuild. We encourage you to designate the counties impacted by the spring fires in Nebraska as disaster areas to allow for emergency loans and provide additional assistance where needed.

Additionally, our offices request clarification on eligibility under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). We have heard that several Nebraskans have requested to apply for ECP following the spring wildfires but have been told they are ineligible due to being enrolled in the grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). These producers are trying to receive additional assistance in rebuilding fences and other assets on land that burned from these unprecedented fires. ECP enrollment is set to close on June 26^th, so a timely response would be appreciated or assurance that an extension would be allowed.

We respectfully request your expedited review and prompt action to ensure Nebraska's producers receive the immediate support needed to rebuild after the historic wildfires. Along with our fellow Nebraskans, we appreciate your attention to this request and stand ready to assist in any way possible.

View a copy of the transmitted letter here.

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