NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION EFFORTS

Updated 02/02/2009

Lexington, Ky., February 2, 2009— Tom Perrin, State Conservationist for NRCS in Kentucky said, "NRCS has immediate access to Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) funds that provide the agency the opportunity to assist local sponsors with eligible emergency needs in a timely manner."

Local sponsors include county fiscal courts, city, conservation districts, watershed conservancy districts, State government, and affiliated agencies. Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance but must be represented by a sponsor. These funds are available since a state of emergency was declared in the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a result of the January 27 30, 2009 winter storm.

NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the construction costs of authorized emergency measures installed. The remaining 25 percent of costs come from the sponsors. All EWP work must reduce threats to life and property plus be economically and environmentally defensible. The work must be of benefit to more than one person, sound from an engineering standpoint, and be the least-cost alternative.

NRCS assistance under EWP is limited to the removal of debris (broken, hanging and undercut trees) or impending debris along streams, creeks, or bridges that pose a threat to life or property. Assistance can also be provided for severe erosion along stream banks that poses an immediate danger to houses, non-federal roads and other infrastructure. Examples include debris piles upstream of bridges, fallen trees impeding the flow of water and/or causing flooding or erosion, and bank erosion that threatens homes, local roads and bridges, etc. The concern and/or damage must be related to the recent winter storm however, EWP qualifying conditions may present themselves several days from now as the ice and snow continue to melt. Sponsors are responsible for providing land rights to do the repair work and acquiring any needed permits.

Sponsors are also responsible for furnishing the local cost share and for facilitating the installation of work. EWP project work must be conducted under an agreement with NRCS and under very specific timeframes. For example, projects conducted under exigent situations must be completed within 10 days from the time the site is accessible, or when funding is approved.

If your area has suffered damage from a storm event, you may qualify for assistance under the EWP Program.  Interested parties are encouraged to contact your local soil and water conservation district or local NRCS office.  The sponsor’s application should be in the form of a letter signed by an official of the sponsoring organization.  The letter must include the nature, location and scope of the problem for which assistance is requested, and assistance in applying for EWP is available from your local NRCS office.  USDA Service center addresses, phone numbers, and facsimile numbers can be obtained at: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

Letters requesting EWP assistance and containing the information listed above should be faxed to the USDA NRCS State Office or the NRCS Service Center in your county for immediate consideration. 

Some NRCS field offices are not operational due to lack of power.  Forward your requests through the Kentucky Emergency Management office (to find your local office go to http://kyem.ky.gov/) requesting “EWP” assistance or directly to the NRCS State Office in Lexington at 859-224-7350.

For more information on the EWP program, please contact your local NRCS conservationist or Jacob Kuhn, NRCS EWP Program Manager, (859)-224-7371.  For more information regarding Emergency Watershed Protection, visit NRCS Web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/

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