Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, Emergency Forest Restoration Program

To be eligible to participate in EFRP, a person or legal entity must be an owner of nonindustrial private forest land affected by a natural disaster, and must be liable for or have the expense that is the subject of the financial assistance. The owner must be a person or legal entity (including Indian tribes) with full decision-making authority over the land, as determined by FSA, or with such waivers as may be needed from lenders or others as may be required, to undertake program commitments. Federal agencies and States, including all agencies and political subdivisions of a State, are ineligible for EFRP. For land to be eligible, it must be nonindustrial private forest land and must, as determined by FSA. The land must have existing tree cover or have had tree cover immediately before the natural disaster and be suitable for growing trees, have damage to natural resources caused by a natural disaster, which occurred on or after January 1, 2010, that, if not treated, would impair or endanger the natural resources on the land and would materially affect future use of the land. The land must be physically located in a county in which EFRP has been implemented and is ineligible for EFRP if FSA determines that the land is owned or controlled by the United States, or owned or controlled by States, including State agencies or political subdivisions of a State. A qualifying natural disaster means wildfires, hurricanes or excessive winds, drought, ice storms or blizzards, floods, or other naturally-occurring resource impacting events as determined by FSA. For EFRP, a natural disaster also includes insect or disease infestations as determined by FSA in consultation with other Federal and State agencies as appropriate.