With Nebraska having experienced widespread flooding and wildfires in recent years, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) sponsored a bipartisan bill on Feb. 19 that would help farmers and ranchers more quickly access federal disaster relief.
“In times of crisis, Nebraskans deserve relief—not additional burdens,” Sen. Fischer said.
The senator reintroduced the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025, S. 629, with lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The bill would reform the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to offer producers impacted by disasters the option to receive an increased, up-front cost-share, according to a bill summary.
The ECP and EFRP programs were created to help producers with financial and technical assistance to repair and restore their land after natural disasters, however they are often slow to respond, Sen. Fischer’s office said.
“The ECP’s current distribution system too often fails to provide the support it was designed to offer. My bill will streamline the recovery process, helping to restore agricultural land more quickly following emergencies,” Sen. Fischer said.
In addition, S. 629 would adjust eligibility for relief to include any wildfire caused or spread due to natural causes and those caused by the federal government.
“During times of crisis, the last thing Nebraska beef cattle producers should be worrying about is bureaucratic red tape. We thank Senator Fischer for her continued efforts to protect producers’ access to critical assistance and create a more efficient emergency conservation program,” Nebraska Cattlemen President Dick Pierce said.
The bill is under consideration by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.