Expanded ELAP coverage for winter wildfire losses

By Scout Nelson

In an important update aimed at aiding producers facing winter wildfire losses, the USDA has announced enhancements to the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP).

Breaking from its previous policy, which only covered losses during the normal grazing season in Kansas, ELAP's coverage has now been extended to include the entire year for perennial forages, starting from 2024.

This change ensures comprehensive support for producers against wildfire damages to stockpiled forage throughout the winter months.

The push for this policy revision was led by Sen. Roger Marshall, alongside Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who collectively introduced language in the Livestock Disaster Relief Act of 2023.

Their efforts were aimed at securing future coverage for similar losses under ELAP. Zach Ducheneaux, the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), played a key role in realizing these updates.

The updated ELAP policy in Kansas offers producers affected by the Four County Fire in December 2021 retroactive assistance to help mitigate their losses, allowing them to recover from the devastating fire that scorched over 163,000 acres, including winter pastures.

The state FSA office is actively developing guidelines to implement these changes. Producers are advised to stay tuned for upcoming communications from the FSA, which will provide further details on the ELAP revisions and how they can benefit from the expanded coverage.

This update marks a critical step forward in providing more robust support to producers affected by winter wildfires, reflecting the USDA's commitment to enhancing the resilience of the agricultural community.

Photo Credit -usda