DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has $6.5 million available through the state bonding plan to support conservation efforts.
The Department has set $3 million aside for repairing conservation practices that received damage from storm events and $3.5 million for Soil and Water Conservation Districts to address water quality improvement and/or flood and erosion control in targeted watersheds.
“The legislature directed these funds to the Department to address conservation practice repair and watershed projects and we are excited to make the funds available and get projects on the ground that will help improve water quality, reduce erosion and potentially address flooding,” Northey said.
Soil and Water Conservation Districts can apply for $3.5 million in funding for watershed projects that address water quality improvement and/or flood and erosion control. Watershed improvement committees, public water supply utilities, county conservation boards, cities and counties are invited to work with their local district if interested in participating as a partner in applying for funds. The maximum cost share rate for practices will be 75 percent from all sources. The initial project application deadline is September 30, 2009.
“A survey we did following the flooding last year showed more than $40 million in damages to conservation practices across the state and unfortunately there are still projects that need to be repaired,” Northey said. “I encourage farmers with practices that need repair to work with their local Soil and Water Conservation District office.”
Individual farmers may apply for the $3 million set aside for repairing conservation practices that received damage from storm events. Projects damaged during the 2008 flooding as well as other natural disasters are eligible to apply for up to 75% of the repair costs. All applications must be submitted to the local Soil and Water Conservation District office by December 31, 2009. Only repairs of conservation practices, not maintenance, are eligible for funding.
“Each year we have more demand for conservation funding than we have available and hopefully these funds will help address some of the backlog,” Northey said.
