Farm Service Agency May 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces the availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for potential changes to the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). ECP provides emergency funding to farmers and ranchers who have suffered damage to their agricultural lands as a result of a natural disaster. The goals of ECP are to restore farmland (currently, cropland, hayland, and pastureland) to a normal productive state after a natural disaster and provide assistance to producers to carry out emergency water conservation or enhancing measures in times of severe drought. The potential changes (proposed action) under consideration include expanding ECP eligibility to other types of farmland, namely timberland, farmsteads, roads, and feedlots. If FSA implements the changes, FSA would publish a proposed rule to reflect changes to the policy. The draft SEIS is available for public comment. The draft SEIS analyzes the impacts of the proposed action on the nation's environmental resources and economy. FSA analyzed the no action alternative (continuation of current program) to provide an environmental baseline.