Section 1416.106 - Notice of loss and application process(a) To apply for ELAP, the participant that suffered eligible livestock, honeybee, or farm-raised fish losses must submit, to the FSA county office, the following: (1) A notice of loss to FSA as specified in § 1416.107(a) ,(2) A completed application as specified in § 1416.107(b) for one or more of the following:(i) For livestock feed and grazing losses; losses resulting from transporting water, feed, and livestock; and gathering livestock to treat for cattle tick fever; a completed Emergency Loss Assistance for Livestock Application;(ii) For honeybee feed, honeybee colony, honeybee hive, or farm-raised fish feed or death losses, a completed Emergency Loss Assistance for Honeybees or Farm-Raised Fish Application;(iii) For milk losses due to H5N1, a completed Emergency Loss Assistance for H5N1 Application;(3) A report of acreage, if applicable, as determined by the Deputy Administrator;(4) A copy of the participant's grower contract, if the participant is a contract grower;(5) Other supporting documents required for FSA to determine eligibility of the participant, livestock, honeybee colonies, hives, farm-raised fish, and loss;(6) A farm operating plan, if a current farm operating plan is not already on file in the FSA county office; and(7) A socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning, or veteran farmer or rancher certification, if applicable.(b) For livestock grazing losses, participant must provide acceptable, verifiable, or reliable records that:(1) Additional livestock feed was fed to sustain eligible livestock during an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, or(2) Eligible livestock were removed from the eligible grazing land where the grazing loss occurred.(c) For livestock, honeybee, or farm-raised fish feed losses, participant must provide acceptable, verifiable, or reliable records of the following as determined by the COC:(1) Purchased feed intended as feed for livestock, honeybees, or farm-raised fish that was lost, or additional feed purchased above normal quantities to sustain livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish for a period of time, not to exceed 150 days, until additional feed becomes available, due to an eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition. Verifiable or reliable records may include, but are not limited to, feed receipts, invoices, settlement sheets, warehouse ledger sheets, load summaries, register tapes, and contemporaneous records.(2) Harvested feed intended as feed for livestock, honeybees, or farm-raised fish that was lost due to an eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition. Verifiable or reliable records may include, but are not limited to, weight tickets, truck scale tickets, pick records, contemporaneous records used to verify that the crop was stored with the intent to feed the crop to livestock, honeybees, or farm-raised fish, and custom harvest documents that clearly identify the amount of feed produced from the applicable acreage.(3) Additional cost of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock due to an eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition as determined by the Deputy Administrator, including, but not limited to, costs associated with equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal. Verifiable or reliable records may include, but are not limited to, invoices, commercial receipts, load summaries, and contemporaneous records used to verify transportation cost of additional livestock feed.(4) Additional cost of transporting water to eligible livestock due to an eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition as determined by the Deputy Administrator, including, but not limited to, costs associated with water transport equipment rental fees, labor, and contracted water transportation fees. Verifiable or reliable records include, but are not limited to, commercial receipts, contemporaneous records and invoices. Records must clearly indicate the dates on which water was transported and the total gallons transported.(5) Additional cost incurred to transport eligible livestock to feed or livestock feed to eligible livestock for additional mileage above normal, due to an eligible adverse weather, an eligible loss condition, or eligible drought, as determined by the Deputy Administrator, including costs associated with treating livestock feed to prevent the spread of invasive pests. Verifiable or reliable records include, but are not limited to, commercial receipts, contemporaneous records, and invoices. Records must clearly indicate the dates on which livestock or feed was transported and the total mileage transported.(d) For eligible honeybee colony, honeybee hive and farm-raised fish losses, the participant must provide verifiable or reliable records of honeybee colony, hive, or farm-raised fish losses. For honeybee colony and hive losses, the participant must also provide verifiable or reliable records of inventory at the beginning of the program year, and records of purchase and sale transactions of honeybee colonies and hives throughout the program year. If the participant was paid for a loss of honeybee colony or honeybee hive in either or both of the 2 previous years, the participant must provide documentation that FSA deems acceptable to substantiate how current year honeybee colony and honeybee hive inventory was acquired. For farm-raised fish losses, the participant must also provide verifiable or reliable records of inventory on the beginning date and ending date of the eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition. Verifiable and reliable records may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following:(3) Private insurance documents,(4) Property tax records,(5) Sales and purchase receipts,(6) State colony registration documentation, and(e) If verifiable or reliable records are not available or provided, as required in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section, the COC may accept producer's certification of losses if similar producers have comparable losses, as determined by the COC and approved by the STC (FSA State Committee).This paragraph does not apply to documentation for milk losses due to H5N1.(f) For milk losses due to H5N1, the producer must provide to FSA a positive H5N1 test at the time the application for payment is filed. The producer must also provide current and prior year milk production records and herd inventory records if requested by FSA to substantiate the certified number of eligible adult dairy cows removed from production through a comparison of the per head production rates for the current and prior years. If requested by FSA, the producer must also provide any other records necessary to substantiate the information provided on the producer's application, including the producer's share of the milk production. An eligible adult dairy cow must be reported on the application for the month it was initially removed from milk production and cannot be included in subsequent months in the same application for payment. If the producer removes adult dairy cows from commercial milk production due to H5N1 infection more than 120 days after the positive H5N1 test reported to FSA, the producer must submit another notice of loss and application for payment for the subsequent positive H5N1 test after the initial 120 day eligibility from an APHIS confirmed positive test within the herd.79 FR 21097, Apr. 14, 2014, as amended at 83 FR 49466, Oct. 2, 2018; 85 FR 10964, Feb. 26, 2020; 87 FR 19786, Apr. 6, 2022; 89 FR 54335, July 1, 2024 85 FR 10964, 2/26/2020; 87 FR 19786, 4/6/2022; 89 FR 54335, 7/1/2024