Initial $5 Million in Funding for Farms Damaged by Tropical Storm Irene

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine yesterday released the first installment in state funding for farms damaged by Tropical Storm Irene.  The initial allocation of $5 million will provide funding for farmers to restore damaged farmland and prevent further damage in the future. It is part of the conservation component of the $15 million Agricultural and Community Recovery Fund.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will administer the $5 million funding program in consultation with the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee, the agency that oversees New York’s 58 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The Soil and Water Districts will determine land eligibility based on site inspections of damage, according to the Ag Department’s press release.  For farmland to be eligible for funding, damage from Tropical Storm Irene must have created new conservation problems that if left untreated would lead to environmental, health and other risks.

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