UC Farmers May Qualify For Spring Flood Relief Through NRCS

Farmers in several Upper Cumberland counties may qualify for additional flood relief resulting from severe weather earlier this year.

According to a press release, the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service of Tennessee has made an additional $2 million available to Tennessee farmers impacted by spring floods.

Upper Cumberland counties eligible for relief funds include Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Smith, Van Buren, and Warren Counties. Eligibility is determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2019 Disaster Map for Tennessee.

To qualify, farmers must have suffered damage to working lands due to flooding that occurred between Feb. 19 and March 30 of this year. Only agricultural producers and non-industrial forest landowners are eligible to receive funding.

According to the release, farmers who qualify may contact their local USDA office for information on how to receive assistance. Funding is provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Heavy rain and severe flooding closed several roadways and damaged homes and businesses across the Upper Cumberland in February.