By KC Sheperd | Oklahoma Farm Report
The Emergency Drought Commission received more than 6,000 applications for drought mitigation projects but was not able to fund all of them, said Trey Lam, executive director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
With a maximum of $7,500 per producer, the drought commission probably had about $17 million worth of applications that could not be funded, Lam said. He added that some producers who were not funded have already completed their projects.
“We are really optimistic that the Legislature will provide some funding to clean up those applications, but we are also a little concerned that maybe we need to move some funds from areas where it has rained – where the drought has been relieved – which is east and southeast, especially of the Oklahoma City area,” he said.
Some districts have up to 100 open applications, Lam said.
“These are folks that have either spent money or need to get something done,” he said. “We would hate to see them not funded, but there is a couple of different ways. One is to move money around, and another is to get another appropriation from the Legislature.”
Some districts have already come close to filling the needs of those approved applications, Lam said. If someone was unable to complete a practice or could not clean out a pond because rain had filled it, those funds could be moved to a conservation district with a large waiting list or people who still do not have available water.
The drought commission recently provided further guidance for producers who have been approved for pond cleanouts through the Emergency Drought Cost-Share Program.
Approved producers who have not completed their pond cleanout by June 1 will be contacted by their local conservation district, which will alert them that they have 45 days to complete their project. Projects that require pumping water out of the pond are allowed.
Conservation districts are not accepting new applications for the program at this time.