ESF-11 1

United States Department of Agriculture

United States Department of the Interior

Program Aid No. 1821

EMERGENCY

AND NATURAL RESOURCES

SAFEGUARDING AGRICULTURE, ANIMALS,

SUPPORT

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION
2 ESF-11

ESF 11 is a part of the National Response Framework—the basis for how government agencies provide a unified national response to emergencies and certain private 

sector and nongovernmental organizations. Under the framework, resources from 39 

Federal agencies and certain private sector and nongovernmental organizations are 

grouped into 15 different “Emergency Support Functions,” or ESFs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) are the lead 

Federal departments for ESF 11, which addresses the protection of agriculture and 

natural resources. 

SPECIFICALLY, ESF 11 IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Emergency support function (ESF) 11 

provides coordinated Federal assistance to State, Tribal, and local

governments when a major emergency

or disaster overwhelms their ability

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION to respond to certain public needs. 

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION

n Offering nutrition assistance (FNS)

n Ensuring the safety of the Nation’s supply of meat, poultry, 

and processed egg products (FSIS)

n Monitoring for and responding to animal/plant pest and disease situations (APHIS)

n Providing for the safety and well-being of household pets (APHIS)

n Protecting natural and cultural resources and historic properties (DOI)

3

FNS also authorizes the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides electronic benefit transfer cards for disaster survivors. 

During the busy 2008 hurricane season, FNS and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing 

Service and Farm Service Agency worked with local food distributors and vendors to 

coordinate efforts to ship food products where they were needed—in some cases, 

within hours of the initial requests for assistance.

Another critical part of USDA’s ESF 11 responsibilities is ensuring that the Nation’s 

supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products is safe and wholesome, produced in a sanitary environment, and labeled accurately. USDA’s Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) coordinates these efforts through a variety of activities. This 

includes inspecting and verifying food safety aspects of slaughter and processing 

plants, products in distribution and retail sites, and import facilities at ports of entry; 

conducting laboratory analysis of meat, poultry, and processed egg product samples; 

retaining/detaining products suspected to be adulterated; suspending operations in 

official regulated facilities when necessary; carrying out foodborne disease surveillance; and conducting field investigations. For example, during the recovery efforts 

after Hurricane Gustav in August 2008, FSIS inspected import facilities, food warehouses, and regulated facilities in the affected area to ensure that they were still able 

to maintain a sanitary environment and assure the safety of their meat, poultry, and 

processed egg products. 

PROVIDING NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE & 

SAFE FOOD

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works with State agencies 

to determine disaster-related nutrition assistance needs, obtain 

appropriate food supplies, and arrange for delivery of these supplies. 

FNS

FSIS
In these situations, APHIS is responsible for coordinating Federal, 

State, Tribal, and local authorities to conduct disease and/or pest control 

and eradication activities. APHIS also plays an important supporting role 

in response efforts involving other ESF 11 responsibilities and ESF groups. 

For example, when needed, APHIS helps to support ESF 8—Public Health 

and Medical Services—in addressing animal and veterinary issues during 

natural disasters. 

These roles are consistent with APHIS’ traditional mission of safeguarding 

the health of U.S. animal and plant agvricultural resources. Over the 

years, APHIS has worked with its State and Tribal partners to successfully 

control and/or eliminate numerous plant and animal health threats in the 

United States. Such examples include the near eradication of boll weevil 

from U.S. cotton acreage and, in 2003, the eradiction of exotic Newcastle 

disease, one of the most infectious poultry diseases in the world, in the 

southwestern United States.

4 ESF-11

As a part of ESF 11, USDA’s Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) coordinates 

any response efforts for incidents involving 

animal or plant diseases and pests.

SAFEGUARDING

AGRICULTURAL

HEALTH

APHIS

4 5

In 2006, the Pets Evacuation and 

Transportation Standards (PETS) Act and 

the Post-Katrina Emergency Management 

Reform Act were signed into law. 

HELPING 

PETS

APHIS

This legislation allows emergency Federal disaster funding for State and 

local emergency responders who have considered pet owners, household pets, and 

service animals in their disaster response plans. Along with several other ESF groups, 

ESF 11 supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure an 

integrated response that provides for the safety and well-being of household pets in 

an emergency. For example, as part of ESF 11, APHIS provides technical assistance 

and subject matter expertise on the evacuation and sheltering of household pets. 

APHIS also supports training and planning activities in these areas. 

As seen during the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, pet evacuation 

and rescue can become a critical issue in a disaster. In fact, a 2007 Harvard School 

of Public Health Survey—which covered several States at high risk for hurricanes—

found that more than one-fourth of respondents would refuse to evacuate their 

homes in an emergency if they couldn’t take their pets with them. Early planning, 

good communication, and strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, humane organizations, and animal rescue groups make a tremendous 

difference in the success of pet evacuation and rescue efforts. In 2008, as part of

the Midwest flood response, USDA worked together with State and local responders 

and organizations and provided veterinary staff to assist with pet rescue and 

support pet shelters in Iowa and other affected States. In Iowa alone, more than 

1,000 pets were sheltered as a result of these cooperative efforts. 
In this role, DOI helps protect, preserve, conserve, rehabilitate, 

recover, and restore these resources in preparation for or in response 

to a disaster. This includes performing assessments after a disaster to 

determine the extent of damage and providing technical assistance and 

support for assessing the impacts of response and recovery activities to 

preserve NCH resources. 

For example, as part of the ESF 11 response to Hurricane Katrina, 

DOI assisted the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Officer in developing an integrated geospatial mapping and database of historic 

resources in the impacted areas. State and Federal officials used 

the data and maps in making determinations for the preservation or 

demolition of these resources. As part of the ESF 11 response to 

Hurricane Ike, DOI assisted FEMA by providing a Fish and Wildlife 

Service endangered species expert to help determine appropriate 

debris removal strategies. DOI also provided technical experts for 

cultural resources to assist in the identification of temporary housing 

sites and avoid damaging sensitive archaeological resources. 

6

PROTECTING 

NATURAL & 

CULTURAL 

RESOURCES

DOI is the primary agency responsible for implementing the natural 

and cultural resources and historic properties (NCH) part of ESF 11.

Photo by National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service

DOI

7

USDA and DOI have responded to emergencies 

by providing safe food to people in need, safeguarding agricultural health across the country, helping 

pets and pet owners evacuate and find shelter, and 

protecting NCH resources threatened by disaster. 

But the possibility of another natural or manmade 

disaster is never far away. ESF 11 coordinators across 

the country continue working with FEMA to ensure 

that our Nation’s emergency response system is ready 

to handle any type of threat or disaster that comes 

our way. Each year, ESF 11 coordinators participate 

in FEMA-led preparedness efforts, including national exercises that test and strengthen emergency 

response capabilities and regional hurricane conferences that help facilitate a smooth transition from the 

use of local and State resources to the addition of 

Federal resources.

In addition, APHIS’ Animal Care division is working closely with individual States, local authorities, 

humane organizations, and animal rescue groups to 

plan for pet welfare issues in disasters. APHIS is also 

cooperating with FEMA/ESF 6 (Mass Care, Emergency 

Assistance, Housing, and Human Services) to consolidate available resources for the household pet 

response effort and to clarify roles and responsibilities 

among Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental 

emergency responders. 

ESF 11 representatives are also expanding their 

engagement with USDA State Emergency Boards, 

meeting regularly to stay coordinated. The Boards 

include USDA emergency program coordinators from 

each State. During a disaster, they provide leadership 

at the State/county level and serve as a critical contact 

for local emergency responders who need USDA 

resources and guidance. In the future, the goal is 

to rely on the State Emergency Boards as “one-stop 

shopping” for USDA resources when ESF 11 is preparing for or responding to an emergency.

Altogether, these efforts help prepare the United 

States to provide coordinated, uninterrupted public 

service—at all levels of Government—in the event of 

any emergency. 

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT EMERGENCY

Since 2005, FEMA 

has activated ESF 

11 for hurricanes, 

flooding, and other 

weather events and 

emergencies.
To learn more about ESF 11 and the National Response Framework, visit:

www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/

www.aphis.usda.gov/ESF11

For additional information about USDA, including general USDA disaster 

assistance, click on “Find Disaster Help.”

www.usda.gov

For information about DOI’s NCH protection during emergency response, visit: 

www.doi.gov/oepc/nrtr.html

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 

795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Revised March 2010

FOR MORE INFORMATION

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION