USDA Launches $1 Billion in Relief for Livestock Producers Hit by Flood and Wildfire Losses

Sign-Up Open Sept. 15–Oct. 31, 2025, for Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) - Flood and Wildfire Track

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new round of disaster assistance for eligible livestock producers affected by qualifying floods or wildfires in 2023 or 2024. This assistance is part of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) – Flood and Wildfire (FW) Track, and aims to help offset increased supplemental feed costs caused by natural disasters.

According to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, “We are providing continued support for livestock producers whose livelihood and way of life has been disrupted by catastrophic floods, wildfires, and poor forage conditions.”

ELRP Program Overview

The USDA expects ELRP-FW to deliver up to $1 billion in recovery benefits nationwide. This assistance is limited to producers who:

• Operate in a county approved by the USDA for flood or wildfire eligibility, or
• Can provide documentation of qualifying impacts if their county is not pre-approved
• Raise eligible livestock (including beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and others)
• Were impacted by floods or wildfires that caused supplemental feed costs in 2023 or 2024
  

Sign-up runs from September 15 to October 31, 2025. Eligible producers must submit Form FSA-376 to their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office during this window.

ELRP Payment Structure

Payments will cover up to:

• 60% of one month of feed costs for wildfire-affected operations (non-federal lands only)
• 60% of three months of feed costs for flood-affected operations
  

Annual payment limits:

• $125,000 per program year
• Producers may request a payment limitation waiver (Form FSA-510) for up to $250,000, subject to income qualifications
  

This program does not cover infrastructure loss or general forage decline unrelated to documented flood or wildfire impacts.

Notes on ELRP Eligibility

• Wildfire-related payments are only available for non-federally managed land and only if producers did not already receive ELRP or LFP payments for the same event.
• Documentation is not required in USDA-designated eligible counties, but is required elsewhere.
• Payments are funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).
  

Next Steps

Livestock producers impacted by 2023–2024 flood or wildfire events should:

• Contact their local FSA office immediately
• Confirm county eligibility or prepare documentation
• Submit Form FSA-376 before the October 31, 2025, deadline
  

Redd Summit Advisors will continue tracking all USDA relief programs and can help ranchers understand how ELRP may align with their existing risk management strategies.

For more information on the ELRP-FW program, visit the USDA’s ELRP Fact Sheet or call your local FSA office.