May 162 min read

All La. parishes approved for EFRP

A cost-share program through the USDA designed to help restore forests has been approved for all parishes in Louisiana, according to the Farm Service Agency. The signup period began this week and will extend through July 12, 2024.

The Emergency Forest Restoration Program provides financial and technical help to "owners of nonindustrial private forestland to restore the forests that were damaged by a qualifying natural disaster.

“It’s important that producers promptly apply for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program assistance because program funds will be allocated based on the number of applications received and by on-site inspections to determine the extent of the damage,” said Ronald Guidry, Jr., FSA State Executive Director in Louisiana. “I encourage eligible landowners who haven’t previously participated in FSA programs to contact their local FSA county office as soon as possible to establish farm records.”

EFRP Participation Requirements

After EFRP applications are received, local FSA county committees determine land eligibility using on-site damage inspections that assess the type and extent of damage and approve applications. 

Financial assistance is not provided upfront but is reimbursed at no more than 75% of the lesser of the actual costs incurred or allowable cost after a restoration activity is complete. If an EFRP application is approved, the participant is expected to perform restoration and conservation practices based on the FSA-848A Cost-Share Agreement and restoration plan provided.  

The following requirements for participation in EFRP include:

Restoration must be completed to meet the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and/or state forestry agency technical standards. 
Participants must document and keep records of all costs incurred to complete the restoration activities, including costs associated with personal labor.  
The minimum qualifying cost of restoration is $1,000. 
The EFRP payment limitation is $500,000.

To meet eligibility requirements, NIPF land must have existing tree cover or had tree cover immediately before the natural disaster occurred and be sustainable for growing trees. The land must also be owned or leased by a nonindustrial private individual, group, association, corporation or other private legal entity that has definitive decision-making authority over the land. 

The natural disaster event must have resulted in damage that, if untreated, would impair or endanger the natural resources on the land and/or materially affect future use of the land. 

Eligible EFRP Restoration/Rehabilitation Practices

For eligible program participants who have approved applications, EFRP provides cost-share assistance for the following restoration and rehabilitation practices: