Overview

The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), administered by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA), 

provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers 

and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland and conservation structures 

damaged by natural disasters and implement emergency water 

conservation measures in periods of severe drought.

Program Administration

ECP is administered by FSA state and county committees and county 

offices. Producers should contact their local FSA county office 

regarding ECP enrollment periods and eligibility.

Land Eligibility

FSA county committees determine land eligibility based on on-site 

inspections of damaged land and the type and extent of damage. 

Eligible land includes land used for:

• Commercial farming, ranching and orchard operations;

• Growing nursery stock and Christmas tree plantations;

• Grazing for commercial livestock production; and

• Conservation structures such as, waterways, terraces, diversions 

and windbreaks.

• Conservation problems existing before the applicable disaster 

event are ineligible for ECP assistance.

Cost-Share Payments

Cost-share payments are:

• Up to 75 percent of the cost to implement approved restoration 

practices;

• Up to 90 percent of the cost to implement approved restoration 

practices for producers who certify as limited resource, sociallydisadvantaged or beginning farmers/ranchers; 

• Limited to $500,000 per person or legal entity per disaster; and

• Available as an advance payment of up to 25 percent of 

expected cost-share, for only the replacement or restoration 

of fencing.

Eligible Farmland Restoration Practices

To rehabilitate farmland, ECP participants may implement 

emergency conservation practices, such as:

• Removing debris from farmland (cleanup of wind- or waterdeposited debris, such as woody material, sand, rock and trash 

on cropland or pastureland, and clearing snow from feed stocks, 

water supplies, and feeding areas);

• Grading, shaping or leveling land (filling gullies, releveling 

irrigated farmland and incorporating sand and silt);

• Restoring fences (livestock cross fences, 

boundary fences, cattle gates, or wildlife 

exclusion fence on agricultural land);

• Restoring conservation structures 

(waterways, terraces, diversion ditches 

and permanently installed ditching 

system); and

• Providing emergency water during 

periods of severe drought (grazing and 

confined livestock and existing irrigation 

systems for orchards and vineyards).

What to Do if a Disaster Occurs

• Producer or USDA Documents damage 

with dated photographs, videos and 

third-party verification.

• Producer reports to a local Service 

Center as soon as possible to request 

assistance (immediate restoration 

applies only to emergency situations 

such as putting up fencing to confine 

livestock).

• The county FSA office will provide 

guidance on the approval process 

and next steps.

For More Information

This fact sheet is for informational purposes 

only; other restrictions may apply. For more 

information about FSA disaster programs, 

visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov or contact 

your local FSA office. To find your local FSA 

office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

FACTSHEET • JANUARY 2024