I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5823 
To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary 
of Agriculture to carry out emergency watershed protection measures 
on National Forest System land, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 24, 2025 
Mr. NEGUSE (for himself and Ms. MALOY) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to authorize 
the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out emergency wa-
tershed protection measures on National Forest System 
land, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Watershed Protection 
and Forest Recovery Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY FOREST WATERSHED PROGRAM. 
(a) 
FUNDING
AND
ADMINISTRATION.—Section 
404(b) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
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2204(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘to carry out section 
401’’ after ‘‘for a fiscal year’’. 
(b) EMERGENCY FOREST WATERSHED PROGRAM.— 
Title IV of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
2201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 408. EMERGENCY FOREST WATERSHED PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) EMERGENCY
WATERSHED
PROTECTION 
MEASURES.—The term ‘emergency watershed pro-
tection measures’ means measures that— 
‘‘(A) are necessary to address runoff retar-
dation, soil-erosion prevention, and flood miti-
gation caused by a natural disaster or any other 
natural occurrence that has caused a sudden 
impairment to natural resources on National 
Forest System land, and the damage, if not 
treated— 
‘‘(i) would significantly impair or en-
danger the natural resources on the Na-
tional Forest System land; and 
‘‘(ii) would pose an immediate risk to 
water resources or loss of life or property 
downstream of the National Forest System 
land; and 
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‘‘(B) would maintain or restore forest 
health and forest-related resources on the Na-
tional Forest System land. 
‘‘(2) NATURAL DISASTER.—The term ‘natural 
disaster’ has the meaning given the term in section 
407(a). 
‘‘(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the For-
est Service. 
‘‘(4) SPONSOR.—The term ‘sponsor’ means— 
‘‘(A) a State or local government; 
‘‘(B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); and 
‘‘(C) a water district, water conservation 
district, water utility, or special district. 
‘‘(b) 
AUTHORIZATION.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through a sponsor, is authorized to undertake emergency 
watershed protection measures on National Forest System 
land. 
‘‘(c) AGREEMENTS; PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter 
into an agreement with a sponsor and make pay-
ments to the sponsor, on request of the sponsor, to 
carry out emergency watershed protection measures. 
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‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) PROJECT TIMELINES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Following a nat-
ural disaster or natural occurrence that ne-
cessitates the carrying out of emergency 
watershed protection measures, the Sec-
retary shall execute agreements under 
paragraph (1) as expeditiously as possible. 
‘‘(ii) TIMELINE.—A sponsor that has 
entered into an agreement under para-
graph (1) shall complete all emergency wa-
tershed protection measures not later than 
2 years after the conclusion of the applica-
ble natural disaster or natural occurrence, 
as determined by the Secretary, that neces-
sitated the carrying out of those measures. 
‘‘(iii) CONTINUED
MONITORING.—A 
sponsor that has entered into an agree-
ment under paragraph (1) may monitor, 
maintain, repair, or replace emergency wa-
tershed protection measures for a period of 
not more than 3 years following the con-
clusion of the natural disaster or natural 
occurrence, as determined by the Sec-
retary, that necessitated the carrying out 
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of those measures when failure to do so 
would result in unacceptable risk to Na-
tional Forest System land or downstream 
water users. 
‘‘(B) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary, in ac-
cordance with an agreement entered into under 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(i) may make partial payments prior 
to completion of the applicable project; and 
‘‘(ii) shall make final payment for the 
project not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the project is completed. 
‘‘(d) WAIVED MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall waive any matching requirements for pay-
ments made under subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(e) LIABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A sponsor that carries out 
emergency watershed protection measures pursuant 
to an agreement under subsection (c)(1) shall not— 
‘‘(A) be required to indemnify the United 
States for any liability resulting from carrying 
out emergency watershed protection measures 
pursuant to that agreement; or 
‘‘(B) except as provided in paragraph (2), 
be liable for injury, loss, or damage resulting 
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from carrying out emergency watershed protec-
tion measures pursuant to that agreement. 
‘‘(2) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this sub-
section precludes liability for damages or costs relat-
ing to the carrying out of emergency watershed pro-
tection measures by a sponsor pursuant to an agree-
ment entered into under subsection (c)(1) if the 
sponsor acted with willful or wanton negligence or 
reckless conduct in carrying out those measures. 
‘‘(f) ASSUMPTION OF RISK.—A sponsor that carries 
out emergency watershed protection measures prior to en-
tering into an agreement under subsection (c)(1) shall as-
sume the risk of incurring any cost or liability resulting 
from carrying out those measures. 
‘‘(g) COORDINATION.—The Chief of the Natural Re-
sources Conservation Service shall coordinate on the use 
of funds distributed under this section and section 403. 
‘‘(h) NEPA COMPLIANCE.—Emergency watershed 
protection measures carried out pursuant to this section 
shall be deemed emergency response actions for purposes 
of section 220.4(b)(1) of title 36, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (or a successor regulation).’’. 
Æ 
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