Emergency Conservation Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) helps farmers and ranchers recover from natural disasters by sharing the cost of emergency work. The program provides assistance to, repair farmland damaged by floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, or other disasters, stop soil erosion due to a natural disaster event and improve water conservation during severe drought. Funding depends on availability.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Unrestricted by Entity Type
- Unrestricted by Individual Type
Any agricultural producer who as owner, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper on a farm or ranch, including associated groups, and bears a part of the cost of an approved conservation practice in a disaster area, is eligible to apply for cost-share conservation assistance. This program is also available in American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
Depending on the amount of cost share requested, the FSA county or state committees, or ECP Program Manager will review and may approve applications in whole or in part. Approvals cannot exceed the county allocation of Federal funds for that purpose.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 15 to 30 days
From 2 to 3 weeks.
Program details & compliance
Description
After a natural disaster, the county FSA committee, with approval from the State FSA committee, decides whether the Emergency Conservation Program will be available in the county. Assistance is only provided for new conservation problems caused by the disaster that, if not addressed, would harm the land or reduce its ability to produce crops. The damage must be unusual for the area, not something that happens often, and costly enough that federal help is needed to restore the land for agricultural use. Wind erosion is the only exception for recurring issues. For drought-related water projects, eligibility must be approved by the FSA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs.
Mission Categories
Primary: Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation
Other categories:
Agricultural Resource Conservation and Development
Required Documentation
After completion of the approved practice, the participant must certify completion and request payment by the practice expiration date. FSA will provide the participant with a form to be used to certify completion and request payment.
Reporting & Compliance
Formula
ECP participant shall not receive more than 75 percent of the total allowable costs to perform the practice. A participant who is a limited resource, socially disadvantaged, or beginning farmer or rancher may receive up to 90 percent of the total allowable costs. A person or legal entity is limited to a maximum ECP cost share of $500,000 per person or legal entity, per natural disaster. In no case will the ECP payment exceed 50 percent of what the Deputy Administrator has determined is the agricultural value of the affected land.