08/15/07 Grazing land fire financial help

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has set an August 22nd deadline for Idaho landowners to apply for financial assistance if their grazing land was destroyed in the summer wildfires. BARTHOLOMEW "Up to 25 hundred acres of land that has burned for eleven dollars per acre if they will defer it until October first, 2008. " Bob Bartholomew of NRCS says that will give the rangeland time to recover. In all, 400 thousand dollars of EQIP, Environmental Quality Incentives Program money is being used for this program; 100-thousand left over in this year's Idaho budget and 300 thousand from the federal office. The federal fiscal year ending September 30th landowners have to move quickly to apply even though Idaho's fire season isn't over yet. BARTHOLOMEW "Have a second signup period probably in mid-October for those who experience damage after this cutoff date as well as those who maybe didn't get funding because the money ran out." For information on eligibility requirements for the special wildfire initiative, or to pick up copies of the wildfire recovery publication, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit the Idaho NRCS website. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott