The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), offers financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, drought, and other calamities. ECP helps producers with repairing disaster-damaged farmland and restoring agricultural production while preventing further environmental harm.
Eligible applicants include farmers and ranchers who have suffered damage to their farmland due to natural disasters. The damage must significantly impair the land’s agricultural productivity or pose a threat to land or water resources that is so costly that federal assistance is required to return the land to productive agricultural use.
Applications are accepted during announced signup periods following a natural disaster event. Producers should apply as soon as possible after the disaster occurs to ensure timely assistance.
To apply for the Emergency Conservation Program, producers must submit a request for assistance to their local FSA office. The application process includes an assessment of the damage, documentation of the disaster impact, and a description of the proposed restoration measures. Detailed enrollment instructions and deadlines are available through the local FSA office.
Program Features:
- Covered Practices
- Removing post-disaster debris from farmland.
- Grading, shaping, or re-leveling land.
- Restoring permanent fences.
- Restoring water conservation structures.
- Implementing emergency water conservation measures during severe drought.
- Payment Rates: ECP provides cost-share assistance of up to 75% of the allowable cost of approved conservation practices. Limited resource producers may be eligible for up to 90% cost-share.
- Funding: The availability of ECP funds is subject to congressional appropriations and is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding priorities may be established based on the severity of the disaster and the extent of the damage.
Additional ECP Benefits
- Emergency Recovery: ECP provides assistance to address immediate conservation needs following a disaster, helping producers restore their operations.
- Environmental Protection: By addressing disaster-related damage, ECP helps prevent further environmental harm and promotes the long-term sustainability of agricultural land.
- Economic Stability: ECP helps producers recover from the financial impact of natural disasters, supporting the economic stability of rural communities.