The Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) is accepting applications for the Livestock Operator Fire and Flood Assistance Program (LOFFAP) under the 2025-3 grant cycle. This program is designed to provide financial assistance to livestock-operation landowners and lessees whose infrastructure has been damaged by wildfires or associated flooding. The funds are intended to support the reconstruction of necessary infrastructure so that affected livestock operators can continue their operations. The program is funded through the Livestock Operator Fire and Flood Assistance Fund, established under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 3-109.03).

The total available funding for this grant cycle is $9,500,000, with a maximum grant award of $250,000 per applicant. No more than 50% of the total fund allocation can be awarded to a single county in a fiscal year. Additionally, no grant award can exceed 50% of the total cost of the grantee’s infrastructure project, including amounts received from other sources such as insurance, federal disaster relief programs, and nonprofit assistance. Applicants must consent to information-sharing between AZDA and other funding agencies to ensure proper coordination of financial aid.

Eligible applicants include landowners and lessees of livestock operations who own more than 40 animals, as defined by the program manual. They must demonstrate that their infrastructure has been damaged due to a wildfire or related flooding and that they require funding to repair the damage to continue their operations. Furthermore, applicants who are eligible for or partially funded by other federal or state programs must first exhaust those resources before applying for LOFFAP assistance. Each applicant is limited to one application per grant cycle.

The application process requires applicants to submit various forms, including an attestation form, infrastructure project proposal form, project budget form, land management verification form, and other supporting documentation such as maps and photographs. Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated application portal by 11:59:59 PM MST on March 28, 2025.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture will evaluate applications based on the necessity of repairs, the extent of damage, the applicant’s ability to secure other funding sources, and compliance with program guidelines. Grant agreements will be issued following approval, and recipients must adhere to the funding restrictions and reporting requirements outlined in the program manual.

For more information, applicants can contact the LOFFAP Grant Coordinators, Marty Suter at (602) 396-8365 (email: msuter@azda.gov) or Ashley Estes at (602) 316-6775. Additional details, including the grant manual and necessary application forms, can be accessed through the AZDA website.