EQIP Funds Available For Grazing Lands Damaged By Fletcher Fire

Contact:
Dave Sanden (530) 527-2667 or (530) 226-2573

DAVIS, Calif., August 15, 2007—In response to the Fletcher Fire and potential damage to the watershed, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced a special grazing lands wildfire initiative to assist private landowners impacted by the blaze.

In July, the Fletcher Fire burned nearly 8,200 acres on the east side of Goose Lake in northeastern California and southern Oregon. The initiative allows affected landowners to sign up for financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Wildfire Special Initiative between now and the close of business on Friday, August 24, 2007. Holders of federal grazing lands leases are precluded by contract from grazing after fires and are not eligible for this specific incentive program.

"NRCS is taking immediate action to assist ranchers in California and Oregon whose private grazing lands were damaged by the wildfire," said California State Conservationist Lincoln "Ed" Burton. "This EQIP Wildfire Special Initiative will help affected landowners on both sides of the border maintain their operations while they take steps to speed range recovery, minimize erosion, reduce noxious weeds that are detrimental to both livestock and wildlife, and protect the health of the overall watershed."

This California-Oregon joint initiative covering the Fletcher Fire is similar to one offered by NRCS Oregon for other fire-affected regions of that state. NRCS California is offering $60,000 for this EQIP Wildfire Special Initiative.

The program provides a one-time $15 per-acre flat rate incentive payment for landowners who agree to exclude livestock from damaged areas and manage weeds until the fall of 2008. Excluding livestock will minimize erosion, rest burned areas for one full growing cycle, and accelerate establishment of healthy and resilient plant communities. The payments are intended to offset costs associated with livestock exclusion. Weed management will help prevent the proliferation of noxious weeds as the natural range vegetation recovers. Privately owned grazing lands that were damaged by the Fletcher Fire in 2007 (about 75 percent of the total acres) are eligible under this special initiative.

Those who do not meet the Special Initiative deadline or who are interested in cost-sharing additional conservation practices also have the opportunity to apply for EQIP assistance under the 2008 fiscal year funding cycle.

Matt Drechel, district conservationist in Alturas, said that he will be discussing this initiative and the application process at upcoming public meetings hosted by the Central Modoc and Goose Lake Resource Conservation Districts. Dates of these meetings are yet to be determined.

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