Recovery Efforts Continue. Grant Funds Available for Agricultural Producers Affected by 2012/2013 Floods and Fires

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 9 -- The Colorado Department of Agriculture issued the following news release:

Applications are being sought for grants to assist farmers and ranchers who were impacted by 2012/2013 floods and fires. The grant amounts can range from $15,000 to $150,000 and approximately $900,000 is available for this round of grants.

Applicants must meet the Housing and Urban Development income limits for moderate-income households which is based on the county, personal income, and family size of all owners. Farms and ranches with employees can also qualify if over half of their employees meet the moderate income limits.

Financial assistance can include:

* Reimbursement for disaster-related expenses that were incurred from the date of the disaster to one year after

* Operational expenses to support your business moving forward - hay or feed, livestock or crop related expenses, equipment, insurance, ditch assessments, payroll

* Disaster-related projects to finish recovery efforts - fencing/corrals, barns/outbuildings, pasture restoration, irrigation systems, land leveling, debris removal

This funding is part of the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocated to the State of Colorado from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is working in partnership with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) in to assist farmers and ranchers who were impacted by the 2012/2013 disasters through the Agriculture Business Grant Program.

The program is providing the grant funding to agricultural businesses in counties affected by:

* 2012 High Park Fire

* 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire

* 2013 Black Forest Fire

* 2013 Royal Gorge Fire

* September 11, 2013 Flood

The counties affected by these events are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Crowley, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Teller, Washington, and Weld.

Applications are being accepted until September 29, 2017. Visit www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/agriculture-business-grant or call (303) 869-9028 for program information including eligibility requirements, the application and other materials.