ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Agriculture producers in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, including Texas County and Beaver County, could be getting some help with drought relief projects across the state.

In September, Oklahoma Voice reported state officials voted to allocate up to $12 million to producers looking to complete projects on their properties.

“The Oklahoma Emergency Drought Committee (OEDC) unanimously voted to designate more funding and accept new applications from the state’s farmers and producers as part of Emergency Drought Assistance Program,” the Oklahoma Voice story said. “The legislatively created committee led by state Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur has allocated more than $60 million to the cost-share program since November 2022.”

Oklahoma, the story said, has been experiencing drought conditions for months and was in the midst of a “flash drought” that began in July.

“Flash droughts are characterized by a rapid onset of dry conditions,” the story said. “Oklahoma’s drought has been exacerbated by high temperatures and a lack of rainfall, said state climatologist Gary McManus.”

Oklahoma Voice likewise said OEDC voted to allocate its remaining unearmarked $2 million in funding to new applications for drought relief projects.

“The funding will be evenly distributed across Oklahoma’s 77 counties, and projects are approved on a first come, first serve basis,” the story said.

OEDC also voted to direct another $10 million to new applications, but only if they receive a supplemental appropriation from lawmakers in that amount next year.

Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) Director and committee member Trey Lamb, the story said, said he spoke with legislative leaders and appropriation committee chairs and has a verbal agreement that $10 million in additional funds will be appropriated when the state legislature convenes in February 2027. The full legislature would need to approve a supplemental appropriation.

Oklahoma Voice also said while the state funding can be used to offset a portion of drought relief project costs, program participants contribute around 40 percent, according to a presentation made at the committee meeting.

Potential projects include pond cleanouts, wells, watering facilities, pumping plants, pipelines and pasture taps, and Lam said any funding allocated beyond the first $2 million will be conditional on legislative approval.

The story likewise said previous applicants on the waitlist for funding, designated as “alternates,” will need to resubmit their applications for any of the newly approved funding. The new application period opened Monday, and applications must by submitted to the OCC.

Producers can retroactively apply for projects completed, or those they plan to complete, between July 15, 2026, and July 1, 2027.

“This excludes pond cleanouts, which would need to be completed by Dec. 31, 2026,” the story said. “Program participants must submit invoices and are subject to visual inspection or verification of completed projects in order to receive the state funds.”

McManus, the story said, told OEDC half the state, mostly Western Oklahoma, is experiencing drought rated between “extreme” and exceptional, triple what the state had been experiencing seven weeks prior to the September meeting.

McManus said the entire state was in bad shape, but he said there is hope for the drought to improve in the near future.

“Oklahoma, along with most of the country, is expected to have a cooler, wetter season with a strong El Niño pattern expected,” the story said. “El Niño is a climate pattern that leads to wetter conditions in the southern U.S.”

Oklahoma Forestry Services Fire Management Chief Andy James said the state has also seen fires increase in number and size as the drought persists.

Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 20, James said, there had been 445 fires which impacted more than 22,300 acres of Oklahoma land, double the average number of fires and triple the average acreage for the time period.

James also said firefighters had been working more than 80-hour weeks, with some shifts exceeding 22 hours.

While the looming cooler and wetter weather is encouraging, James said he encourages caution with activities that could cause a spark and in counties that start to lift burn bans.

“I would caution everybody it’s taken us seasons to get to this position, months and almost it feels like years, and it’s going to take that long to get us out of this predicament we’re in,” he said. “Please be cognizant of just how dry things are, regardless of the moisture we’ve received, and be careful and be safe when you’re doing that.”