WASHINGTON—Senator Chuck Grassley today announced that eight Iowa counties previously denied Emergency Conservation Program funds will now receive more than $1.1 million to help recover from the severe weather that hit the area. Earlier this month, Grassley asked Farm Service Agency Administrator Teresa Lasseter to account for the fact that these counties were excluded from the Emergency Conservation Program even though they were eligible for federal funds after being designated Presidential Disaster Areas.
During a hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee today, Grassley questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Connor about a response to his earlier letter. Connor assured Grassley that the funding was to be provided to these counties and that a response to the letter was being sent today.
“I’ve had a firsthand look at the damage left behind following this summer’s severe weather, including the damage experienced by farmers in some of these counties,” Grassley said. “These counties need Emergency Conservation Program funds and these affected farmers will receive the funds they are entitled to.”
The text of Administrator Lasseter’s letter can be found at grassley.senate.gov. Funding allocations to each individual county can be found below.
Adams
-$77,000
Cerro Gordo
-$130,000
Fayette
-$265,000
Fremon
t-$135,000
Hardin
-$261,000
Henry
-$54,000
Kossuth
-$105,000
Wright
-$75,000
For Immediate Release
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008
Grassley asks about Iowa counties being left out of Emergency Conservation Program
WASHINGTON --- Senator Chuck Grassley is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to account for the fact that nine counties in Iowa were passed over despite being eligible for federal funds from the Emergency Conservation Program designed for disaster struck areas.
“These counties were hit with extreme weather conditions earlier this year and fell victim to storm damage that earned them status as a Presidentially declared disaster area,” Grassley said. “It doesn’t make sense that they didn’t get federal assistance from the pot of money in this program that was specifically set aside for Midwest disaster relief. I’ve asked the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency to explain what happened and how amends will be made.”
The text of the letter Grassley sent today to the federal agency is below. Grassley is working to make sure natural disaster recovery dollars are available and flowing from the federal government for housing, flood mitigation in urban and rural areas, family farms, and small businesses. He’s also pushing Congress to pass federal tax relief for disaster recovery as was done after Hurricane Katrina.
September 4, 2008
Teresa Lasseter
Administrator
Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250-0506
Dear Administrator Lasseter,
I want to thank the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its recent announcement on August 21st that over $87 million in Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funding would be distributed to states in the Midwest after the recent floods we suffered.
However, while I have toured the state of Iowa over the August recess it has come to my attention that 9 counties from Iowa were not included in the FSA’s allocation of ECP funds. These counties included Adams, Cerro Gordo, Fayette, Freemont, Hardin, Henry, Kossuth, and Wright.
First, how were counties determined and why did the 9 counties listed not meet eligibly requirements? How were the amounts of money allocated to each county receiving funds, determined? And finally, does USDA anticipate further allocations to of ECP money for these counties that were devastated by extreme weather this spring?
I share the concerns of many of my constituents that these counties will not be able to make repairs to the badly damaged conservation infrastructure in our state which protects our most precious resource - our soil.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley of Iowa
United States Senator