Federal aid available for hurricane victims includes funds for aquaculture

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced $2.8 billion in aid for victims of the 2005 hurricane season. Agricultural producers will receive $1.2 billion through various programs. The rest will go toward restoring homes and rural communities.
Johanns authorized the use of $250 million from Section 32 funds in October 2005 for crop disaster, livestock, tree and aquaculture assistance. These funds will be distributed through five new programs; the Tree Indemnity Program (TIP), the Hurricane Indemnity Program (HIP), the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Feed Indemnity Program (FIP); and an Aquaculture Block Grant program.
Producers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas counties declared primary presidential or secretarial disaster areas in 2005 because of hurricanes are eligible to apply for assistance under the new programs. A complete list of these counties is posted online at: http://www.usda.gov/HurricaneInfo.xml

Sign-up dates for the new programs (LIP, TIP, HIP, and FIP), as well as the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program, will be announced as soon as new regulations and software are developed.
Eligible producers can apply now at any USDA Service Center for Emergency Conservation Program funds to remove hurricane debris from farmland.
Emergency Watershed Protection Program funds for eligible projects are available today. Aquaculture grants will be awarded to states and application procedures will be established by Governors or their designees.
Additional information about USDA hurricane assistance is available at USDA Service Centers nationwide and online at http://www.usda.gov/HurricaneInfo.xml

Source:
www.agriculture.com