The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Connecticut today announced the agency is reopening the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from 2023 drought and 2024 floods. ECP provides cost-share and technical assistance to producers to restore farmland to pre-disaster conditions following a qualifying natural disaster. ECP signup begins on May 18, 2026, and ends on July 17, 2026.
“Connecticut producers have faced incredibly difficult conditions from the 2023 drought and the devastating floods in 2024, and USDA is committed to helping them recover,” said Robert Sullivan, FSA State Executive Director for Connecticut. “By reopening the Emergency Conservation Program signup, we are providing another important opportunity for agricultural producers to access the recovery assistance they may need to restore their land, protect their operations and continue producing.”
ECP 2023 (Drought)
FSA is reopening ECP to address severe drought damage in 2023 in the Southeast Council of Government (COG). Agricultural producers who experienced water issues, specifically with insufficient supply to provide water to confined livestock including deepening wells or irrigation for orchards and vineyards, may be eligible for assistance under ECP administered by the Southeast COG FSA. Expenses for piping, pumps and storage tanks for new wells may also be eligible.
Water hauling costs are not an ECP reimbursable expense. ECP funding also cannot be used to install new wells for vegetable or other short-term crops and cannot be used to reimburse for wells that do not produce sufficient water or to frack existing wells.
Source : usda.gov