Minnesota Southeastern farmers may receive special funding to repair conservation practices damaged by the spring 2008 floods, according to officials from USDA National Resources Conservation Service.

William Hunt, NRCS State Conservationist, said that producers with damaged conservation practices in the Minnesota flood counties should submit applications for assistance under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Qualifying flood applications may receive up to 100 percent of the average cost of repairing the practice, Hunt said. Special relief provisions adopted by NRCS allow for this higher payment in the flood counties. Normally, EQIP funds pay for 50 percent of the average cost.

An initial application selection period will end Aug. 5, according to Hunt. Those applications on hand as of Aug. 5 at local NRCS offices will be ranked and selected for funding based on the highest priority.

“This additional funding should assist producers recovering from the floods and help address critical environmental problems caused by the floods,” said Hunt. “We encourage any producer who has farmland damaged by floods to apply for EQIP as soon as possible.”

Counties eligible for the special assistance are: Freeborn, Fillmore, Mower, Houston, Steele, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona and Wabasha. Producers should contact their local USDA Service Center offices for more information.