Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025

Agricultural producers and private forest owners can receive more funding upfront and have longer to complete eligible work.

What the law does ​

• Allows advance payments for urgent farmland and conservation structure replacement, repair, or restoration.
• Covers up to 75 percent of replacement costs and 50 percent of repair or restoration costs in advance, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
• Extends the deadline for agricultural producers to use advance funds from 60 days to 180 days.
• Makes certain naturally spread human-caused wildfires and federal-government-caused wildfires eligible for assistance.
• Allows nonindustrial private forest owners to receive up to 75 percent of emergency measure costs in advance.
• Requires private forest owners to return advance funds left unspent after 180 days within a reasonable period set by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Who it affects ​

• Agricultural producers restoring damaged farmland or conservation structures.
• Owners of nonindustrial private forest land undertaking emergency restoration.

Breakdown ​

Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025 ​

This law makes it easier for agricultural producers and private forest owners to receive emergency conservation and forest restoration funds before completing eligible work. It expands advance payments, allows more time to use certain funds, and clarifies that specified human-caused and federal-government-caused wildfires qualify for assistance.

Key takeaways

• Agricultural producers may receive advance payments for urgent measures to replace or restore farmland or conservation structures.
• Advance payments may cover 75 percent of replacement costs and 50 percent of repair or restoration costs, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
• The period for agricultural producers to use advance funds is extended from 60 days to 180 days.
• Eligible wildfire damage includes damage from a non-naturally caused wildfire that spreads because of natural causes, as well as damage from a wildfire caused by the Federal Government.
• Owners of nonindustrial private forest land may receive up to 75 percent of emergency measure costs in advance.
• Private forest owners must return advance funds that remain unspent after 180 days within a reasonable period set by the Secretary of Agriculture.