USDA Announces Waiver of Cost-Share Requirements for EWP in Areas Impacted by the Cerro Pelado Wildfire

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a waiver of the cost-share requirements for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program to address watershed impairments in designated areas of New Mexico impacted by the Cerro Pelado Fire.

This waiver will allow for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to pay for 100% of the cost. The waiver is part of a broader effort by the Biden-Harris Administration to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by wildfires through a Presidential major disaster declaration issued last year following a summer of wildfires.

“The need in New Mexico is tremendous and ongoing. We are working diligently to provide assistance and outreach to communities in need as quickly as possible. Once more, we are committing to covering 100% of the costs in impacted watersheds,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, who recently toured sites in Mora and San Miguel County where NRCS has been active in wildfire and flooding recovery. “The Emergency Watershed Protection Program helps communities rebuild after natural disasters and prepare for the future, and this assistance will help New Mexico Build Back Better.”

EWP is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters. The waiver of the cost share requirement allows NRCS to cover 100% of cost for those areas impacted by the Cerro Pelado fire.

More Information

Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producer impacted by drought and wildfire and the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet (PDF, 1.5 MB), and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.

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