Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025
This bill revises the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to expand eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters. The bill also provides additional options to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments before carrying out emergency measures.
The bill expands advance ECP payments to include payments for the rehabilitation of farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or conservation structure. Producers may receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for 75% of the cost of the replacement or rehabilitation and 50% of the cost of the repair. Current law limits advanced cost-sharing payments to 25% of the cost of the repair or replacement of fencing.
The bill also expands eligibility for payments under ECP to include emergency measures to address damages caused by a wildfire that is not caused naturally (including a wildfire that is caused by the federal government), if the damage is caused by the spread of the wildfire due to natural causes.
Under EFRP, the bill allows owners of nonindustrial private forest land impacted by a natural disaster to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for up to 75% of the cost of the emergency measures. Recipients must use the funds within 180 days after the funds are disbursed. Currently, advance payments are not available under the program.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1011 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1011
To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to remove barriers to
agricultural producers in accessing funds to carry out emergency
measures under the emergency conservation program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 5, 2025
Ms. Letlow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to remove barriers to
agricultural producers in accessing funds to carry out emergency
measures under the emergency conservation program, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Conservation Program
Improvement Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
Section 401 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and
Other Emergency Conservation Measures'' after
``Fencing''; and
(B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) In general.--With respect to a payment to an
agricultural producer under subsection (a) for the repair or
replacement of fencing, or for other emergency measures to
rehabilitate farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or
conservation structure, the Secretary shall give the
agricultural producer the option of receiving--
``(A) before carrying out such replacement or
rehabilitation, not more than 75 percent of the payment
for such replacement or rehabilitation, which shall be
based on the fair market value of the replacement or
rehabilitation, as determined by the Secretary; and
``(B) before carrying out such repair, not more
than 50 percent of the payment for such repair, which
shall be based on the fair market value of the repair,
as determined by the Secretary.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Wildfires.--A wildfire that causes damage with respect to
which a payment may be made under subsection (a) includes any wildfire
that is not caused naturally, including a wildfire that is caused by
the Federal Government, if the damage is caused by the spread of the
fire due to natural causes.''.
SEC. 3. IMPROVING THE EMERGENCY FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM.
Section 407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2206)
is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
``(e) Advance Payments.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall give an owner of
nonindustrial private forest land the option of receiving,
before the owner carries out emergency measures under this
section, not more than 75 percent of the cost of the emergency
measures, as determined by the Secretary based on the fair
market value of the cost of the emergency measures using the
estimated cost of the applicable practice published in the
Field Office Technical Guide of each State by the Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
``(2) Return of funds.--If the funds provided under
paragraph (1) are not expended by the end of the 180-day period
beginning on the date on which the owner of nonindustrial
private forest land receives those funds, the funds shall be
returned within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the
Secretary.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
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