The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) helps farmers and ranchers repair damage to farmlands caused by natural disasters. It also helps to put methods in place for water conservation during severe drought. The ECP does this with funding and assistance to repair the damage or to install the conservation methods.

For your land to qualify for funds, the damage must create new conservation problems that, if not dealt with, would:

• Further damage the land;
• Greatly affect the land’s productive capacity;
• Represent natural disaster damage that is unusual for the area (except damage from wind erosion);
• Be too costly of a repair to return the land to production without federal help.

The FSA County Committee inspects the damage to determine if your land qualifies for ECP. Conservation problems that existed before the disaster or severe drought are not eligible.

To rehabilitate farmland, you may carry out emergency conservation actions like:

• Remove debris from farmland;
• Restore livestock dung and conservation structures;
• Provide water for livestock during periods of severe drought.

Check with your local FSA office to find out about ECP sign-up periods set by the FSA County Committee.

To apply, contact your local USDA Service Center.