Congressman Gonzalez Encourages South and Central Texans to Apply for USDA Assistance to Restore Flood-Prone Lands

WASHINGTON –Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has begun accepting applications for funding for conservation easements on lands damaged by and prone to flooding and other natural disasters. The NRCS has made available $217.5 million for 11 States.

The funds are made available by the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP-FPE) through their floodplain easement component. Currently, 11 States are accepting applications including: Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

"This easement program aims to provide relief and assistance for agricultural landowners that have been repeatedly impacted by extreme weather in recent years," said Congressman Gonzalez. "Given the two years of devastating flooding in Central and South Texas, I encourage our landowners in the 15th District of Texas to apply for these grants."

The EWPP-FPE program is a voluntary program through which eligible applicants agree to sell a permanent conservation easement to the United States through NRCS. Compensation is based on the value of the easement as determined by an appraisal or market analysis. These easements may occur on public or private agricultural land or residential properties damaged by flooding and natural disasters.

Property owners in the 15th District of Texas interested in applying EWPP-FPE can review program information on the Floodplain Easement webpage. More information can be found on the local USDA NRCS Field Office.