East Fork Fire leads to USDA loans

Havre Daily News staff

More help has been offered to ag producers impacted by the East Fork Fire that blazed in the Bear Paw Mountains Aug. 27 through mid-September.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Acting Administrator Steve Peterson announced that physical loss loans are available for Blaine County ag producers who suffered major physical losses caused by the fire that burned 21,896 acres.

Impacted producers may be eligible for emergency loans.

Producers from four Montana counties contiguous to this designated disaster area, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill and Phillips, are potentially eligible for programs based on this designation.

FSA’s low-interest emergency loans may be made available to any applicant with a qualifying loss in those counties, a release on the loans said. Approval is limited to applicants who suffered severe physical losses only.

A fact sheet is available on the Farm Service Agency website at https://www.fsa.usda.gov or through the direct Bitly link http://bit.ly/2iokiTO.

Physical loss loans may be made to eligible farmers and ranchers to repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agriculture operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay.

Producers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans for physical losses.

People can contact FSA for more information on loan eligibility and the application process. FSA office information is available at http://offices.usda.gov. Additional FSA disaster assistance program information is available at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.