Oklahoma farmers and ranchers looking for help to cope with drought conditions now have additional options available to them thanks to the announcement today by Governor Mary Fallin that $1.4 million will be made available through the state wide Conservation Cost-Share Program administered by the Oklahoma Commission (Commission). Joe Parker, President of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) said that the timing couldn’t be better for the announcement.
“The conservation districts of Oklahoma are glad to see these funds available to help producers throughout the state,” Parker said. “The weight of this drought continues to press down on Oklahoma Agriculture. Any help we can provide in this time of need should be priority one.”
On Monday, August 13, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission took action to make monies available for additional conservation work through the state wide cost-share program. This move by the Commission makes these funds available to agriculture producers attempting to cope with the record drought by installing various conservation practices including pond construction, well drilling, connection of pasture tap hydrants to water systems and grass plantings in pastures damaged by the drought. These funds can also be utilized to control invasive species like the Eastern Red Cedar, a move that can also help reduce fuel loads for wildfires.
According to OACD’s Executive Director Clay Pope, producers should contact their local conservation district to check on the availability of funding in their area.
“Our local district boards will be prioritizing the use of these funds and working to make dollars available to producers as quickly as possible,” Pope said. “We would encourage anyone interested in these funds to be visiting with their local conservation district office and their local board members. We are glad these resources are available and we want to do all we can to help.”
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