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Section 404(b) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2204(b)) is amended by inserting after (text as provided in the section).
Adds a new section 408 (Emergency forest watershed program) to Title IV of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.).
Section 402 (16 U.S.C. 2202) is amended by striking the section designation and all that follows through and inserting a revised section heading and text ('402 Water conservation and water enhancing measures during severe drought ... The Secretary is authorized;') and by striking and inserting specified wording.
Section 405 (16 U.S.C. 2205) is amended by striking the section designation and all that follows through and inserting new text ('405 Regulations The Secretary is authorized.').
Section 406 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (note) is repealed.
Section 403 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is moved to appear after section 405 (16 U.S.C. 2205) and its section designation and subsection (a) text are struck and replaced with a new section designated as 406 ('406 Emergency watershed program').
Section 402B (16 U.S.C. 2202b) is amended by striking the section designation and heading and all that follows through and inserting revised text (redesignating a subsection as '(d) Maximum payment The maximum;') and moving that subsection to appear after subsection (c) of section 402A (16 U.S.C. 2202a).
Section 402A (16 U.S.C. 2202a) is amended (minor textual edits in subsections (b) and (c)) and the section designation and heading are struck and replaced with a new heading and designation ('403 Cost-share requirement; maximum payment').
Section 1241(f)(9)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)(9)(B)) is amended by striking and inserting (text as provided in the section).
Creates an Emergency Forest Watershed Program that lets the Forest Service work with local sponsors to carry out urgent post‑disaster projects to slow runoff, stop erosion, reduce flood risk, and restore forest health. The program authorizes agreements and payments to local sponsors (no matching funds required), sets deadlines for project completion and monitoring, limits sponsor liability in most cases, requires coordination with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and treats program actions as emergency responses under NEPA regulations to speed implementation. Projects completed under the program are intended to be timely, locally delivered, and federally funded through agreements; the law defines terms, sets administrative authorities, and imposes recordkeeping and monitoring timeframes to ensure rapid recovery after natural disasters affecting forested watersheds.
Defines “emergency watershed protection measures” as measures needed to address runoff retardation, soil-erosion prevention, and flood mitigation caused by a natural disaster or other natural occurrence that suddenly impairs natural resources on National Forest System land, where the damage would: (i) significantly impair or endanger the natural resources on that land and (ii) pose an immediate risk to water resources or loss of life or property downstream; and that maintain or restore forest health and forest-related resources on that land.
Defines “natural disaster” by reference to the meaning given in section 407(a).
Defines “Secretary” to mean the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
Defines “sponsor” to mean: (A) a State or local government; (B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act); or (C) a water district, water conservation district, water utility, or special district.
Authorizes the Secretary, acting through a sponsor, to undertake emergency watershed protection measures on National Forest System land.
Primary effects: Local sponsors (counties, tribes, conservation districts, local governments, and similar entities) gain access to federal funds and technical partnership to perform urgent watershed stabilization and recovery projects without needing matching funds, which lowers financial barriers for quick action. The Forest Service receives explicit authority to enter agreements and pay sponsors, enabling more rapid, locally delivered emergency work. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be involved in coordination and technical alignment, which can improve design and reduce duplication with existing programs.
Community and environmental impacts: Communities in burned or storm‑damaged forested watersheds should see quicker mitigation of runoff, sedimentation, and flood risks, reducing downstream damage to homes, infrastructure, water supplies, and aquatic habitat. Faster implementation and required monitoring aim to improve long‑term watershed resilience, though expedited NEPA treatment may narrow opportunities for extended review compared with standard processes.
Economic and operational impacts: Local contractors and restoration firms may get near‑term work implementing projects. Limits on sponsor liability and no‑match funding increase likelihood of participation but could shift responsibilities for maintenance and long‑term outcomes to sponsors or other local entities. Federal administrative workload will increase for the Forest Service and NRCS to manage agreements, oversight, and monitoring. Overall the program lowers barriers to immediate post‑disaster watershed action and prioritizes speed and local delivery.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by Michael F. Bennet · Last progress March 25, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate