USDA Approves Emergency Conservation Assistance for 20 Counties in Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, August 12, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Texas is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) in 20 counties to address damages from severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions.

“Recovering from the impacts of natural disasters is never easy, but the Farm Service Agency is here to help,” said Erasmo (Eddie) Trevino, Deputy State Executive Director for FSA in Texas. “If you have an immediate need to clean up and restore your operation, please call your local office to see if restoration practice approval is needed before you take any action.”

The following counties are eligible for ECP assistance and the deadline to apply is Sept. 11, 2025: Burnet, Coke, Concho, Gillespie, Lampasas, Llano, Kerr, Kendall, Kimble, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson counties.

Additionally, Maverick, Real, Schleicher and Sutton counties are also eligible for ECP assistance and sign-up starts Aug. 4 and runs through Oct. 3, 2025.

Emergency Conservation Program

Approved ECP applicants can receive up to 75% of the cost of the approved restoration activity with a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event.

ECP cost share is available to producers who lease federally owned or managed lands, including Tribal Trust land, as well as state land.

Conservation concerns present on the land prior to the qualifying natural disaster event are not eligible for ECP assistance.

Approved ECP practices include:

Non-engineering practices:

• EC-1: debris removal
• EC-2: grading/shaping/releveling or similar measures
• EC-3: repair/restoration of fencing

Engineering practices:

• EC-4: restoring conservation structures and other installations (check with FSA before beginning any work)

Producers implementing any practices that involve engineering and/or ground disturbance should check with FSA before beginning any restoration work as prior approval may be required in order to receive cost-share assistance.

Flexibilities

To allow producers to begin their recovery efforts sooner, FSA is offering flexibilities that apply to non-ground disturbing practices.

FSA is waiving the onsite inspection for non-engineering ECP practices to remove surface debris and repair fencing. Additionally, FSA is waiving the requirement for producers to obtain prior approval to conduct surface debris removal and fence repair to support critical disaster recovery efforts.

Recent policy changes allow FSA to streamline environmental compliance reviews following eligible natural disasters. FSA will continue to complete on-site environmental reviews for applicants who do not meet the required conditions.

More Information

To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/protection-recovery. USDA disaster assistance information can also be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool.

FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.