Vermont farmers, timber landowners and contracted loggers are scheduled to begin applying Oct. 26 for disaster assistance covering qualifying weather losses in 2023 and 2024.
The state has $31.7 million in federal funding for its Agriculture and Timber Disaster Assistance Program. The first phase is designed to cover 95% of eligible losses, with a maximum payment of $75,000, according to the state announcement. Applications are due Dec. 31, with payments anticipated in early 2027.
Applicants must have operated an eligible agricultural or timber business during the relevant years, suffered a qualifying weather-related loss and still be operating. The state says the first phase is noncompetitive, with payment based on documented eligible losses rather than a competition to rank proposals.
Potential agricultural categories include damage to eligible farm infrastructure and certain economic or market losses. Timber categories include standing or harvested timber, licensed-forester assessments, forest-plan updates and qualifying work to restore access to damaged harvest sites.
Useful records include ownership or lease documents, property information, dated photographs, receipts, invoices, estimates and records of other compensation for the same loss. Timber applicants may also need stand maps, timber-sale contracts and a licensed forester's assessment.
A second, competitive phase is planned for larger infrastructure projects, with a maximum of $750,000. Receiving assistance in the first phase does not by itself bar an applicant from the second, but the program will not pay twice for the same loss.
State program questions can go to AGR.DisasterResponse@vermont.gov for agricultural losses or ANR.FPRFloods@vermont.gov for timber losses.