Assistance to help with damage caused in June 20 storm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Becker and Mahnomen Counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address damages from high winds that occurred June 20, 2025. 

EFRP provides cost-share and technical assistance to restore nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF) damaged by a qualifying natural disaster. EFRP signup begins on February 2, 2026, and ends on June 5, 2026.

“The Farm Service Agency can help producers and landowners recover from natural disasters that impacted their operation,” said Crystal Dibley, FSA County Executive Director for Becker and Mahnomen Counties. “If you have an immediate need to clean up and restore your operation, please call our Mahnomen office to see if restoration practice approval is needed before you take any action.”

EFRP assists forest landowners with completing restoration that is necessary to address damage caused by a natural disaster that, if not treated, would impair natural resources, and affect forest health and the future use of the forestland. EFRP cost-share is reimbursed to the landowner at 75 percent of the lesser of the actual costs incurred or allowable cost after an approved restoration activity is complete. EFRP has a maximum cost share of $500,000 per natural disaster event. Assistance for EFRP is not provided upfront.

Approved EFRP participants must:

• Complete approved restoration activities according to the forest restoration plan.

• Document and keep records of all costs incurred to complete the restoration activities, including costs associated with personal labor.  

EFRP activities may include: 

• Debris removal, including hazard tree removal

• Woody residue treatment

• Fence repair/replacement

Check with FSA before beginning other work such as:

• Land Clearing

• Thinning/Pruning Prescribed burning/Firebreaks

• Forest road repair

• Site preparation

• Tree planting

• Structures

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.

Eligibility and 

environmental 

requirements

To allow producers to begin their recovery efforts sooner, FSA is offering flexibilities that apply to certain non-ground disturbing practices.

FSA is waiving the onsite inspection for certain EFRP practices to remove surface debris, hazard trees, and repair fencing. Additionally, FSA is waiving the requirement for producers to obtain prior approval to conduct surface debris removal, hazard tree removal and fence repair to support critical disaster recovery efforts.  

FSA is streamlining environmental compliance reviews due to the impacts of this disaster event.

However, FSA will continue to complete on-site environmental reviews for applicants who do not meet the required conditions.

More information

To learn more about EFRP, producers can contact the Mahnomen County FSA Office at (218) 935-2561 ext. 2 or visit www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery.

FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.    

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.