WASHINGTON — A new online tool is designed to help ranchers document their costs for hauling feed or water to their livestock due to the drought, expenses that might be covered by a federal aid program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this year updated an emergency assistance program to include costs for hauling feed, and to lower the threshold for when ranchers qualify for financial aid for hauling water.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency will starting taking applications for the program this fall.

“Drought has had a tremendous impact on producers, and we are thinking outside the box to help producers mitigate the effects of drought, which is a necessary first step to realizing the secretary’s vision of ensuring agricultural producers get a fair share of the food dollar,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said in a press release.

The new online tool is a Microsoft Excel workbook that allows ranchers to enter information specific to their operation to determine an estimated payment. Final payments may vary depending on eligibility. USDA will reimburse eligible ranchers 60% of feed transportation costs above what would have been incurred in a normal year.

To use the tool, ranchers will need:

• Number of truckloads for this year.

• Mileage per truckload this year.

• Share of feed cost this year (if splitting loads).

• Number of truckloads you normally haul.

• Normal mileage per truckload.

• Share of normal feed cost

The tool requires Microsoft Excel, and a tutorial video is available at fsa.usda.gov/elap.

The tool calculates the estimated payment for feed transportation assistance, but it is not an application. Once FSA begins accepting applications later this fall for feed transportation assistance, ranchers should contact their FSA county office to apply. To simplify the application process, ranchers can print or email payment estimates generated by this tool for submission to FSA. The deadline to apply for ELAP, including feed transportation costs, for 2021 is Jan. 31, 2022.

FSA offices in Northeastern Oregon are:

• Union County: 1901 Adams Ave., Suite 6, La Grande.

• Baker County: 3990 Midway Drive, Baker City.

• Wallowa County: 401 N.E. First St., Suite 3, Enterprise.

• Umatilla County: 1 S.W. Nye Ave., Suite 100, Pendleton.