USDA NRCS Announces Sign-Up Application Deadline for Financial Assistance to Improve Forest Health through the Arklahoma Ozark Watershed Restoration

USDA NRCS Announces Sign-Up Application Deadline for Financial Assistance to Improve Forest Health through the Arklahoma Ozark Watershed Restoration

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 04, 2023 - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest more than $48.6 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, restore forest ecosystems, and ultimately contribute to USDA’s efforts to combat climate change. This year, the USDA Forest Service (FS) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest in projects, including 14 new projects, bringing together agricultural producers, forest landowners, and National Forest System lands to improve forest health using available Farm Bill conservation programs and other authorities.  NRCS and FS initially announced a multi-year partnership in 2014 to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems across the nation.

Building on the success of three prior Joint Chiefs’ projects in Arkansas, partners will continue to restore and improve forest health and water quality emphasizing prescribed burning, forest stand improvement, streambank stabilization and crossings through the Arklahoma Ozark Watershed Restoration Project. The project area includes private lands within Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties.

“With the help of USDA, producers can improve their forestry operations while realizing many other benefits, including mitigating impacts from wildfires and improving water quality and wildlife habitat,” said Mike Sullivan, NRCS state conservationist in Arkansas.

Some of the conservation practices available include forest stand improvement (thinning), prescribed burning, firebreaks, tree and shrub planting and streambank and shoreline protection.

NRCS accepts program applications on a continuous basis but sets dates to batch and rank applications as funding allows. Farmers and landowners within Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties who submit applications to their local NRCS office by June 9, 2023, will be considered for this round of funding. Applications received after June 9, 2023, will be considered in later funding periods, subject to funding availability.

For more information visit http://www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/ or contact your local USDA/NRCS Field Service Center.  All USDA Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS should call ahead to schedule an appointment.  Online services are available to customers with an eAuth account, which provides access to the www.farmers.gov portal where producers can view and track certain USDA program applications and payments. Customers who do not already have an eAuth account can enroll at www.farmers.gov/sign-in.