BASTROP COUNTY, Texas -- Recent wildfires across Texas destroyed some 6,200 miles of fencing along ranches and farms. On Wednesday rebuilding vouchers will start going out for those families who rely on that land for their livelihood.
"It's something you can't really explain," said Texas rancher Justin Cormack. "I mean, this is home. I know a lot of people think, 'Oh, it's just land.' But, you know, this is my backyard, and we ran cattle out here since I was a baby.”
The state-sponsored project is named Operation New Fences and begins in one of the worst hit areas. The Texas Agriculture Commissioner is launching the effort. Todd Staples was among those volunteers helping ranchers begin rebuilding on Wednesday.
“With this fire here, we were put in a situation where we couldn't put the fire out. We just had to do what we could do to save lives and try to save people's property as we went,” said District Chief Bill Laird of the Bastrop Fire Department.
Each voucher provides money for wildfire victims to pay for the supplies they need. The money comes from what's called the STAR fund. It stands for State of Texas Agriculture Relief fund. Eligible ranchers and farmers could get a voucher worth up to $1,000.
“We can rebuild. We look at it as a fresh start. Something we can move on from here,” said wildfire victim Alec Brundin.
In a matter of minutes, the Bastrop wildfires destroyed almost everything rancher Larry Miller worked so hard to build.
“All the wood fence around the place, nine barns, with all of my equipment and tools, and everything I've been working for, for 37 years,” Miller said.
On Wednesday, Miller got a helping hand from hardworking volunteers and the STAR fund.
Twenty-two other farmers and ranchers in Bastrop also received $1,000 vouchers this month. With $40,000 left in the fund, Miller hopes others who may have had their fences go up in smoke take advantage of the state's offer to help.
“Any amount is going to help out tremendously, because of one thing we're going through the worst drought in history in this area,” Miller said.
The STAR fund is made up entirely from private donations from corporations and individuals. Donations are still being accepted.
According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, to be eligible, applicants must submit a completed FSA 848 application for federal assistance through the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to certify that agriculture fences were damaged or destroyed due to wildfires.
The following counties are eligible:
- Archer
- Bastrop
- Baylor
- Brewster
- Caldwell
- Clay
- Coke
- Cottle
- Crockett
- Crosby
- Dallam
- Dickens
- Fisher
- Foard
- Freestone
- Garza
- Hartley
- Haskell
- Hutchinson
- Jack
- Jeff Davis
- Kent
- King
- Libscomb
- Limestone
- Midland
- Mitchell
- Moore
- Motley
- Nacogdoches
- Nolan
- Palo Pinto
- Pecos
- Potter
- Presidio
- Randall
- Scurry
- Stephens
- Stonewall
- Taylor
- Terrell
- Terry
- Throckmorton
- Tom Green
- Trinty
- Val Verde
- Wichita
- Young
