Rancher's Resources Quick Links
Gila County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Service Center
County Executive Director
Steven Yazzie
Cell Phone: (928) 514-6151
Email:
steven.yazzie@usda.gov
Program Analyst
Jimenesha Manygoats
Email: jimenesha.manygoats@usda.gov
Farm Service Agency
Navajo/Gila County FSA Office
51 W Vista Dr, Suite 2
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Phone: (928) 524-3214 X100
Fax: (855) 220-1758
2025 FSA Drought Program Updates
Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
Gila County is eligible for
4 months’ worth of LFP payments
due to the D3 Drought designation that began January 1, 2025. The monthly feed cost for the covered livestock will be calculated by multiplying the monthly payment rate per head times the number of eligible covered livestock. The LFP monthly payment rate for losses due to drought are calculated at 60% of the smaller of either the monthly feed cost for the covered livestock or the monthly feed cost using the normal carrying capacity/AUM’s.
Review and complete the
LFP Program Inventory/Mitigated Worksheet
for the cattle own/mitigated due to drought and return to the office, along with your 2024 grazing bills, either by FAX, mail, e-mail or drop off at our office (see address above). We will input the information into the program software to prepare the application and the estimated calculated payment information. The LFP deadline is January 30, 2026.
See the Livestock Forage Disaster Program Fact Sheet for full information
Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)
Feed and Livestock Transportation: ELAP feed and livestock transportation will pay for the current year feed transportation miles above normal year miles with a 25-mile reduction per truckload and a maximum of 1,000 miles per truckload. Provide receipts for feed transportation and livestock transportation.
Let the FSA office know if/when you have your information ready and we will proceed with the automated applicationand generate an estimated payment calculation. The deadline to apply for ELAP is January 30, 2026.
See the
ELAP Livestock Feed Fact Sheet for full information.
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) authorized the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to provide benefits to eligible livestock owners or contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, including: eligible adverse weather, eligible disease, and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators.
Owners or contract growers
who suffer livestock losses due to an eligible cause of loss must
submit a notice of loss and an application for payment to the local FSA office that serves the physical location county where the livestock losses occurred.
All of the owner’s or contract grower’s interest in inventory of eligible livestock in that county for the calendar year must be accounted for and summarized when determining eligibility.
See the
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Fact Sheet for full information.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 21st, 2026
USDA Designates Two Arizona Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.
Impacted Area: Arizona and California
Triggering Disaster: Drought
Application Deadline: May 10, 2027
Primary Counties Eligible: La Paz and Yavapai
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
- Arizona: Coconino, Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, and Yuma
- California: Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino
More Resources
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
FSA Disaster Assistance Program Summaries
List of Services
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Livestock Forage Program (LFP) Fact Sheet PDFList Item 2
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock and who are also producers of grazed forage crop acreage of native and improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or acreage planted specifically for grazing. Grazing losses must occur on land physically located in a county experiencing a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county.
Application for payment and required supporting documentation to their FSA office by March 1 following the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred.
See the LFP - Livestock Forage Disaster Program Fact Sheet for full information.
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Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) Fact Sheet PDFList Item 1
ELAP Provides assistance for the following: What type of livestock losses are covered under ELAP?
• Grazing losses that are not due to drought or wildfires on federally managed lands
• Livestock feed losses caused by eligible loss condition that result in purchased or mechanically harvested feed being destroyed, additional feed purchased above normal, and additional cost of feed delivery
• Losses resulting from the additional cost of transporting water to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling feed to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other feeding location and back due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from the additional cost associated with gathering livestock for treatment and inspection related to cattle tick fever
How to apply-Producers can apply to receive ELAP assistance at local FSA service centers. The ELAP program year ends December 31st of each calendar year. Producers must submit an application for payment by March 1 after the program year in which the loss occurred. Producers who suffered livestock losses must also submit a notice of loss to the local FSA office that maintains their farm records by the notice of loss deadline.
See the ELAP Livestock Assistance Program Fact Sheet for full information.
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Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Fact Sheet PDFList Item 3
LIP Provides assistance to eligible livestock owners or contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by an eligible adverse weather event, eligible disease, and attacked by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by law, including wolves and avian predators. In addition, LIP provides assistance to eligible livestock owners that must sell livestock at a reduced price because of an injury from an eligible loss condition.
All of the owner’s or contract grower’s interest in inventory of eligible livestock in that county for the calendar year must be accounted for and summarized when determining eligibility. See FY-25-LFP- NGCO-LFP Program Inventory/Mitigated Worksheet below.
How to apply- Producers can apply to receive LIP assistance at local FSA Service Centers. The LIP program year ends December 31st of each calendar year. Producers must submit an application for payment by March 1 after the program year in which the loss occurred.
See the LIP-Livestock Forage Disaster Program Fact Sheet for full information.
Individual FSA Drought Relief Forms
Customer Data Worksheet
The Customer Data Worksheet enables you to update your information with the USDA, including your contact and demographic information.
Payment Enrollment Forms
USDA payments are generally directly deposited with your bank. Farm Service Agency customers can fill out the Payment Enrollment Form to set up or change your direct deposit for USDA payments.
Farm Operating Plan
The Farm Operating Plan Form is used to collect information that is used by FSA to determine eligibility for payments. Form 902(i) is for individuals. Form 902(e) is for entities such as general partnerships, joint ventures, Indian Tribes, corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, estates, charitable/tax-exempt organizations, public schools, city/county/state-owned entities, or other similar entities.
Member's Information Form
If you are a legal entity, a Member’s Information form (CCC-901) is used to collect member names, contact information and tax identification numbers.
Income and Tax Information
To participate in many programs, you can’t have an adjusted gross income of more than 900,000. To certify this, you file the Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information Form each year.
Acreage Reports
The deadline to report your grazing acreage is July 15th, 2025. After that date there is a $31 late filing fee for each farm number. Producers to provide updated copies of their land documents to ensure the FSA has the correct acreage reported. If under reported it can possibly pay out a lower benefit amount. If over reported it can over pay a benefit amount which could trigger a collection notice.
Navajo/Gila County LFP Program Inventory Worksheet
The Navajo/Gila County Livestock Forage Program-FY 2025 Inventory Worksheet provides up-to-date livestock owned/mitigated due to drought inventory information. Completed and return to the FSA office, along with your 2024 grazing bills so that the FSA Office can prepare the application and the estimated calculated payment information.
The Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resources, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification Form is used to certify that an individual, legal entity, or joint operation is a member of a one or more of these specific producer groups.
- CCC-860-Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resources, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification Form
- CCC-860-Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resources, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification Instructions
Conservation Compliance
Producers self-certify compliance by filing the Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification Form when enrolling in USDA programs. If unsure if an AD-1026 is filed for your land, contact a Farm Service Agency (FSA) representative at the local USDA Service Center. Once the form is accurately completed and filed, it remains effective, unless changes to the agricultural operation occur and/or new activities arise which change the previous self-certification (for example, the intent to bring new land into production or install new drainage structures). The form is not specific to a particular crop. It covers all land that a producer farms.
Livestock Forage Disaster (LFP) Program Application Worksheet
The Livestock Forage Disaster (LFP) Program Application Worksheet is used by livestock producers to gather information and supporting documents needed to apply for program benefits for livestock grazing losses that occur due to drought or grazing losses due to fire on rangeland managed by a federal agency. This form is for reference use only. The producer must contact their FSA County Office for the computer-generated print out.
Emergency Loss Assistance (ELAP) for Livestock Application Worksheet
The Emergency Loss Assistance (ELAP) for Livestock Application Worksheet is used by livestock producers to gather information and supporting documents needed to apply for ELAP program benefits for eligible livestock as described in the ELAP Livestock Assistance Fact Sheet. This form is for reference use only. The producer must contact their FSA County Office to determine eligibility.
FSA Apply Now Packets
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) Apply Now Eligibility Packets include many of the eligibility forms needed to participate in USDA programs. Specific programs also have program applications and may have additional program eligibility forms that need to be completed. Contact your local FSA Office for assistance.
