DARLINGTON - Lafayette County is eligible to receive assistance for repairs to public property following recent storms and flooding.
Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley announced Friday that personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) visited the county Tuesday to assess storm damage to roads, parks, bridges and trails.
Pedley said that based on the preliminary estimates, Lafayette County will qualify for disaster relief to repair or rebuild roads and facilities as well as help cover extra costs incurred by the recent storms.
FEMA team members estimated the Cheese Country Recreation Trail had more than $200,000 in damage due to the weather. In addition, the team estimated county roads suffered $50,000 worth of damage and McKellar Park in Blanchardville suffered more than $15,000 in damages.
Gov. Jim Doyle recommended federal disaster assistance for Lafayette and 13 other counties in Wisconsin. The money can be used to remove debris, emergency response services related to flooding and repairing or replacing public facilities such as roads or buildings.
Under its public assistance program, FEMA will pay for 75 percent of the costs for the services, while the state and county will each pay for 12.5 percent.
According to Pedley, the most significant amount of damage in the county is in agriculture.
Pedley said estimates indicated that about 35,000 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat have been lost at a total estimated value of about $55 million.
Damage to crops is paid for by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Monica Olsen of the Lafayette County Farm Service Agency office said the Lafayette County Ag Emergency board has determined a request for an agriculture disaster declaration is needed due to flooding that took place this month and due to the winter kill in the alfalfa crop.
The Wisconsin State Ag Emergency Board will meet Monday to determine if the county's request will be presented to Doyle to request a presidential disaster declaration for Lafayette County.
Pedley said the county's private property loss was classified as "minimal" by FEMA and the county wasn't declared a disaster area for private property. He said 10 homeowners reported damage.
Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley announced Friday that personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) visited the county Tuesday to assess storm damage to roads, parks, bridges and trails.
Pedley said that based on the preliminary estimates, Lafayette County will qualify for disaster relief to repair or rebuild roads and facilities as well as help cover extra costs incurred by the recent storms.
FEMA team members estimated the Cheese Country Recreation Trail had more than $200,000 in damage due to the weather. In addition, the team estimated county roads suffered $50,000 worth of damage and McKellar Park in Blanchardville suffered more than $15,000 in damages.
Gov. Jim Doyle recommended federal disaster assistance for Lafayette and 13 other counties in Wisconsin. The money can be used to remove debris, emergency response services related to flooding and repairing or replacing public facilities such as roads or buildings.
Under its public assistance program, FEMA will pay for 75 percent of the costs for the services, while the state and county will each pay for 12.5 percent.
According to Pedley, the most significant amount of damage in the county is in agriculture.
Pedley said estimates indicated that about 35,000 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat have been lost at a total estimated value of about $55 million.
Damage to crops is paid for by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Monica Olsen of the Lafayette County Farm Service Agency office said the Lafayette County Ag Emergency board has determined a request for an agriculture disaster declaration is needed due to flooding that took place this month and due to the winter kill in the alfalfa crop.
The Wisconsin State Ag Emergency Board will meet Monday to determine if the county's request will be presented to Doyle to request a presidential disaster declaration for Lafayette County.
Pedley said the county's private property loss was classified as "minimal" by FEMA and the county wasn't declared a disaster area for private property. He said 10 homeowners reported damage.