Amador County - A drought assistance program through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is being offered to mother lode farmers and ranchers affected by extreme or severe drought conditions. A special 30-day sign up window until May 8 will allow farmers in Amador County and 43 other California counties to apply for $2 million available to protect soil and air quality. Specifically, these funds are intended to maintain areas of fallowed fields, keep orchard trees alive, and protect natural resources on ranch and pasture land. "Record low levels of water storage combined with low snow melt has dried up water deliveries to a point where folks are struggling just to keep trees going so they can live to bear a crop next year," says Ed Burton, State Conservationist for NRCS in California. Over half a million acres of California cropland have become unfarmable and are sitting in wait while officials seek answer to the water shortage crisis. Projections suggest that half million could rise to 840,000 acres, with a projected $2.8 billion direct loss to agriculture. "Our best advice for preventing wind erosion is to leave some vegetative stubble or cover on the field," says Burton. "If the land is already harvested and tilled there are fewer options. Even in those cases, however, our conservationists are willing to take a look at the fields and see if surface roughening, straw mulch or silt fencing may help." More information on the drought, conservation practices that may mitigate drought-related problems, and payment rates for the current drought initiative are available by contacting your local NRCS office. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.