Livestock Operator Fire and Flood Assistance Program 2026-4

The Livestock Operator Fire and Flood Assistance Program is administered by the Arizona Department of Agriculture through its Agriculture and Food Systems Support Division. The program provides grant funding for livestock-operation landowners and lessees that need reconstruction assistance because livestock-operation infrastructure was damaged by a single wildfire or that wildfire's associated flooding. The FY 2026 grant manual states that $9,500,000 is available for grant awards from the Livestock Operator Fire and Flood Assistance Fund, with multiple grants possible. The program supports private, non-governmental infrastructure projects on private lands or on State or federal lands leased by private individuals. Eligible infrastructure includes fixed installations needed for a livestock operation to function, such as fencing, barns, wells, stock tanks, water distribution systems, buildings, pipelines, spring and water developments, corrals, and other essential livestock-operation components. Items not directly related to the livestock operation, including human habitations, vehicles, and heavy equipment, are not included as eligible infrastructure. Eligible applicants are livestock-operation landowners and lessees who own more than forty animals as part of a livestock operation, whose infrastructure was damaged by a single wildfire or associated flooding, who need assistance to repair infrastructure so the livestock operation can continue, and who are ineligible for other federal or state funding or only partially funded by another federal or state program for the same damaged infrastructure. Only one application per applicant is accepted per grant cycle. The maximum LOFFAP request may not exceed $250,000, and a grant cannot exceed 50 percent of the total infrastructure project cost resulting from a single wildfire or that wildfire's associated flooding. The total infrastructure project cost cannot exceed $500,000. Other funds must cover 50 percent of the project cost. Ineligible uses include heavy equipment purchases, housing, outbuildings not used as livestock-operation infrastructure, vehicles, decorative furnishings or furniture, general maintenance, replacement of infrastructure that was not operational before June 1, 2019, construction of entirely new infrastructure or replacement of infrastructure that did not exist before June 1, 2019, and projects required as part of an enforcement action. Applications must be submitted electronically through the online portal. For the 2026-4 grant cycle, the application opens May 22, 2026 and closes June 26, 2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. MST. Required application materials include a notarized attestation form, infrastructure project proposal form, infrastructure project budget form, applicable quotes and estimates, infrastructure project overview map and associated photos, and a land management agency verification form if the project is on public land. Late applications are not accepted, and failure to include all required information results in rejection. Applications are first reviewed by LOFFAP staff against general rating criteria, including whether required forms and supporting materials are complete. Applications that pass the initial review are ranked by an evaluation team using proposal criteria that consider whether the project addresses the statutory intent and qualifies for LOFFAP funds, whether the project is technically sound and feasible with a clear and achievable work plan and timeline, and whether the budget is cost effective, complete, allowable, reasonable, and adequately explained. The evaluation team may recommend full or partial funding or adjust requests, scopes of work, and budgets. The Arizona Department of Agriculture Director makes final award decisions. Awarded applicants are notified by email after evaluation is complete. Grant agreements must be signed and returned within 30 days of receipt, and the project duration may not exceed 24 months from the grant agreement start date. Payments are generally made on a reimbursement basis, although grantees may request an advance payment of partial grant funds not exceeding 50 percent of the total LOFFAP award with written justification and documentation. Grantees must maintain project records for five years after the final report, submit quarterly reports and reimbursement requests as applicable, and submit a final budget and final narrative report before closeout. Program contacts include Marty Suter at msuter@azda.gov and the program inbox loffap@azda.gov.

Submit a complete application package because missing required information results in rejection. Clearly show that the project repairs eligible livestock-operation infrastructure damaged by a single wildfire or associated flooding. Provide maps, photos, quotes, estimates, a logical work plan, milestones, and a detailed allowable budget because evaluation is based on statutory fit, technical merit, feasibility, timeline, and budget reasonableness.