# USDA Leadership Tours San Diego County, Announces Initial Funding to Help Agriculture Producers Recover from Flood Damage

CaliforniaAnimalsLandPlantsSoilWaterEmergency Watershed ProtectionEnvironmental Quality Incentives Program

February 13, 2024

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A delegation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, Undersecretary Robert Bonnie (Farm, Production, and Conservation), and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby, toured flood-damaged sites throughout San Diego County.

SAN DIEGO, Calif., February 12, 2024 – A delegation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, Undersecretary Robert Bonnie (Farm, Production, and Conservation), and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby, toured flood-damaged sites throughout San Diego County today. While touring damage to urban and rural communities, $1 million was initially announced to help agricultural producers recover from January 2024 flood-related damage. 

“NRCS in California is committed to assisting agricultural producers recover from these recent, devasting rain events, and this initial $1 million investment will help get farmers back to farming,” said NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez. 

The funding is being made available through NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Furthermore, NRCS California reminds eligible sponsors that the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) helps communities address watershed impairments or hazards such as debris removal and streambank stabilization after major flood events.

“EWP provides immediate assistance to communities to mitigate potential hazards to life and property resulting from flood events and other disasters,” added Suarez. “EWP allows us to work with local sponsors to help damaged watersheds so that lives and property are protected, while preventing further devastation in the community.”

The USDA delegation was hosted by City of San Diego and County of San Diego officials. The tour visited multiple sites near National City, and then continued to see two agricultural operations damaged near the Tijuana River. Additionally, on February 10, NRCS Chief Cosby visited one tribal community and one flower nursery damaged by rain events in San Diego’s north county. 

The EWP Program is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters. All projects must have an eligible project sponsor. NRCS may bear up to 75% of the eligible construction cost of emergency measures (90% within county-wide limited-resource areas as identified by the U.S. Census data). The remaining costs must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services. 

EWP is designed for installation of recovery measures to safeguard life and property as a result of a natural disaster. Threats that the EWP Program addresses are termed watershed impairments. These include, but are not limited to: 
              - Debris-clogged waterways.
              - Unstable streambanks.
              - Severe erosion jeopardizing public infrastructure.
              - Wind-borne debris removal. 

Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns or any federally recognized Native American tribe or tribal organizations. Sponsors must be able to provide the local construction share, obtain permits and site access and agree to perform operations and maintenance of the constructed projects. Willing sponsors must submit a formal assistance request (by mail or email) to the California State Conservationist within 60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access to the sites become available. For more information, potential sponsors should contact their local NRCS office. 

Since its inception in 1935, NRCS has worked in partnership with private landowners and a variety of local, state, and federal conservation partners to deliver conservation based on specific, local needs. Please visit www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov for more information about NRCS.

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## Contact

                -    Jonathan Groveman 
                -    Jonathan.Groveman@usda.gov 

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