Georgia State Office USDA February Updates - February 12, 2026
In This Issue:
Washington, D.C., February 9, 2026 - The State of Georgia along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) signed a shared stewardship memorandum of understanding today, reaffirming a joint commitment to coordinated, cross-boundary forest management across priority landscapes in the state.
“Georgia has been an exceptional partner in advancing shared stewardship, and this renewed agreement takes that collaboration to the next level”, said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. "By working together to increase prescribed fire, expand growing-season burns, and deliver a sustainable volume of timber through Good Neighbor Authority projects, we’re strengthening both forest health and the state’s forest-based economy. This renewed partnership also supports existing industry and developing wood products, improves and expands opportunities for hunting and fishing, and renews our commitment to support cooperative activities across all Georgia forests."
The Forest Service is working hand-in-hand with state and local governments to manage the nation’s forests more effectively. Agreements such as this one help create more responsive local decision-making, stronger partnerships, and better results for Georgia’s communities. The agreement also formalizes the strong collaboration that already existed between Georgia and the Forest Service and supports implementation of Executive Order 14225 Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.
In Georgia, the shared stewardship framework supports cooperative efforts related to wildfire mitigation, prescribed fire, hazardous fuels reduction, forest restoration, forest products utilization, recreation and long-term resilience of forested landscapes.
"Georgia's forestry industry, the largest in the nation, has shown great resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges," said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. "This agreement will help strengthen the existing relationships between state and federal industry leaders, ensuring we continue to steward our bountiful natural resources while supporting the hardworking Georgians who depend on them for their livelihoods."
The agreement aligns Forest Service priorities to expand state, tribal and local partnerships; accelerate active forest management; and strengthen coordinated wildfire risk reduction efforts nationwide. In the agreement the Forest Service commits to:
- Develop long-term solutions for wood markets, such as supporting the development of innovative wood products and wood utilization programs.
- Coordinate with other federal agencies to address market barriers to Georgia’s forest products.
- Work toward achieving an annual sustainable five million board feet of timber through Good Neighbor Authority projects over five years and maintain at least one GNA timber sale annually.
- Initiate an agreement with Georgia that uses EXPLORE Act authorities by the end of 2026 – and continue to fund Good Neighbor Agreements to accomplish shared active management goals and efforts to recover from disasters.
- Emphasize active management of forests, including expanding the use of prescribed fire and increasing growing season burns, collaborate on America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative, improve wildlife habitat, stock native and game fish species in streams and water bodies, treat non-native invasive species, and manage for rare, imperiled and federally protected species.
- Support Georgia as it works with landowners to reduce wildfire risk, address forest health threats on private lands, and manage their forests.
- Coordinate on law enforcement, natural disasters, risks to forest health, the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act and research / inventory needs.
“This agreement strengthens forest management across ownership boundaries and benefits everyone involved,” said Georgia Forestry Commission Director and State Forester Johnny Sabo. “By improving the health and resilience of national forest lands, we also reduce wildfire risk, lessen forest health threats like southern pine beetle, and support more productive forests for neighboring private landowners and communities.”
The State of Georgia, Forest Service and NRCS will continue working with local governments, private landowners, tribal partners and stakeholders to implement shared stewardship projects across the state.
“Shared Stewardship is about action and accountability. By partnering with Georgia and the Forest Service, NRCS will continue to provide conservation practices where it matters most—on working farms, ranches, and forestlands. This agreement helps us meet landowners where they are, improve forest health and water resources, and keep Georgia’s rural economies strong,” said NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt.
This agreement follows similar agreements with Montana, Idaho, and Utah. For more information on the agreement, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/shared-stewardship.
About forests in Georgia
Georgia's 24 million acres of forestlands provide abundant forest products as a renewable source of wood fiber, clean water for communities and agriculture, support a thriving outdoor recreation and tourism economy, and provide outstanding fish and wildlife habitat.
A variety of benefits are provided to Georgia from its healthy, sustainable forests. Of primary importance is the $59.4 billion economic impact the forest industry has on the state. The industry is the state's second largest employer, with compensation exceeding $11.3 billion and payments to landowners of about $14.5 million. It generates an estimated $880 million per year in revenues for the state budget. Due to recent mill closures, this revenue is expected to decrease in 2025, leaving an opportunity for business growth in this sector in 2026 and beyond.
Forest-based recreation contributes to the state's economic growth and tourism industry. Georgia leads the nation in nonresident hunters, and resident sportsmen spend more than $1.8 billion annually. Anglers spend $569 million each year.
Federal, state and private land managers in Georgia face a range of urgent challenges, among them catastrophic storms, droughts, flooding, insect and disease outbreaks, invasive species, habitat loss and fragmentation, changing forest markets, urban sprawl and interface, and growing public use.
The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, which features nearly 867,000 acres across 26 Georgia counties, is home to thousands of miles of clear-running streams and rivers, 850 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities.
NRCS in Georgia works with local conservation districts, farmers and landowners to identify natural resource concerns, such as water quality and quantity issues, soil erosion, air quality, wetlands and wildlife habitat; they then develop unique solutions for restoring and protecting these resources. The Georgia Forestry Commission serves as technical specialist for NRCS, assisting conservationists in writing resource management plans and conducting performance checks on forest management cost share practices throughout the state.
USDA announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. In 2026, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments.
Eligible Row Crop Commodities and Payment Rates:
Below are the payment rates for the FBA eligible commodities that triggered a payment.
Commodity, Per Acre Payment Rates
- Barley: $20.51
- Canola: $23.57
- Chickpeas (Large): $26.46
- Chickpeas (Small): $33.36
- Corn: $44.36
- Cotton: $117.35
- Flax: $8.05
- Lentils: $23.98
- Mustard: $23.21
- Oats: $81.75
- Peanuts: $55.65
- Peas: $19.60
- Rice: $132.89
- Safflower: $24.86
- Sesame: $13.68
- Sorghum: $48.11
- Soybeans: $30.88
- Sunflower: $17.32
- Wheat: $39.35
Eligibility, Program Applications, and Crop Insurance Linkage
FBA payments are based on 2025 planted acres, Economic Research Service cost of production, and the World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate Report. Double crop acres, including all initial and subsequently planted crops, are eligible. Prevent plant acres are not eligible.
All intended row crop uses are eligible for FBA except grazing, volunteer stands, experimental, green manure, crops left standing and abandoned or cover crops.
Crop insurance linkage is not required; however, USDA strongly urges producers to take advantage of the new risk management tools provided for in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to best protect against future price risk and volatility. The OBBBA federal crop insurance improvements include expanding benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers, increasing coverage options, and making crop insurance more affordable.
Specialty Crop Assistance
Of the $12 billion being provided by the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, up to $11 billion is being directed to eligible row crop producers and the remaining $1 billion of the $12 billion in assistance is reserved for specialty crops and sugar. Timelines for payments to producers of these crops are still under development and require additional understanding of market impacts and economic needs.
Producers, including specialty crop producers and stakeholder groups, can submit questions to farmerbridge@usda.gov.
More information on FBA is available online at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/fba or you can contact your local USDA FSA county office.
Are you interested in working with USDA to start or grow your farm, ranch, or private forest operation, but don’t know where to start?
Whether you’re looking to access capital or disaster assistance through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or address natural resource concerns on your land with assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a great place to start is farmers.gov.
Farmers.gov is a one-stop shop for information about the assistance available from FSA and NRCS. The site also offers many easy-to-use tools for farmers, ranchers, and private forestland owners, whether you are reaching out for the first time or are a long-term customer with a years-long relationship with USDA.
With a farmers.gov account you can:
- Complete an AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet, prior to your first meeting with FSA and NRCS.
- View farm loan payments history from FSA.
- View cost share assistance received and anticipated from NRCS conservation programs.
- Request conservation assistance from NRCS as well as view and track your conservation plans, practices, and contracts.
- View, print, and export detailed farm records and farm/tract maps for the current year, which are particularly useful when fulfilling acreage reporting requirements.
- Print FSA-156 EZ, Abbreviated Farm Record and your Producer Farm Data Report for the current year.
- Pay FSA debt using the “Make an FSA Payment” feature
- Apply for a farm loan online, view information on your existing loans, and make USDA direct farm loan payments using the Pay My Loan feature.
Learn how to create a farmers.gov account today!
The USDA is launching a new online portal to streamline reporting of transactions involving U.S. agricultural land by foreign persons, which can include businesses and governments, under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA). The new online portal is part of a broader effort to strengthen enforcement and protect American farmland as USDA continues its implementation of the National Farm Security Action Plan.
The new online portal is available at afida.landmark.usda.gov. Users can access the portal with Login.gov, a sign in service that provides secure online access to participate in certain government programs and reporting requirements.
The new digital portal will gather the same information found on the current form FSA-153 and those subject to filing may still file using the current FSA-153 hard copy form if desired. However, filers should not duplicate filings by using both submission options.
About the National Farm Security Action Plan
One of the key tenets of USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB) is strengthening processes around disclosure of foreign persons who have an interest in U.S. farmland. This historic plan, announced in July 2025, calls for aggressive implementation of reforms to the AFIDA process including improved verification and monitoring of collected AFIDA data. In addition to the new portal, USDA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for AFIDA in December 2025.
About AFIDA
The new portal is part of USDA’s efforts to streamline its process for electronic submission and retention of AFIDA disclosures, as initially required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Today USDA also shared its annual AFIDA report for 2024 with Congress, which is available online. The report lists foreign holdings of U.S. agricultural land as 46 million acres, as of December 31, 2024 and includes a section on land held and acquired by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea in recent years. The data obtained from AFIDA disclosures are used in the preparation of an annual report to Congress, which is published online.
The AFIDA regulations define the term “foreign person” and specifies the information that must be included in the report. AFIDA focuses on foreign persons who hold direct or indirect interest in the agricultural land, provided those foreign persons with an indirect interest have “significant interest or substantial control” in the direct interest holder.
USDA recently announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply.
Administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), this new Regenerative Pilot Program delivers a streamlined, outcome-based conservation model—empowering producers to plan and implement whole-farm regenerative practices through a single application.
In FY 2026, the Regenerative Pilot Program will focus on whole-farm planning that addresses every major resource concern—soil, water, and natural vitality—under a single conservation framework. USDA is dedicating $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to fund this first year of regenerative agriculture projects.
Learn more about the Regenerative Pilot Program.
If you have experienced delays in receiving Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments, Loan Deficiency Payments (LDPs) and Market Gains on Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs), it may be because you have not filed form CCC-941, Adjusted Gross Income Certification.
If you don’t have a valid CCC-941 on file for the applicable crop year you will not receive payments. All farm operator/tenants/owners who have not filed a CCC-941 and have pending payments should IMMEDIATELY file the form with their recording county FSA office. Farm operators and tenants are encouraged to ensure that their landowners have filed the form.
FSA can accept the CCC-941 for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Unlike the past, you must have the CCC-941 certifying your AGI compliance before any payments can be issued.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) or a local lender.
A debt consolidation loan is a new loan used to pay off other existing operating loans or lines of credit that might have unreasonable rates and terms. By combining multiple eligible debts into a single, larger loan, borrowers may obtain more favorable payment terms such as a lower interest rate or lower payments. Consolidating debt may also provide farmers and ranchers additional cash flow flexibilities.
The Debt Consolidation Tool is a significant addition to FSA’s suite of improvements designed to modernize its Farm Loan Programs. The tool enhances customer service and increases opportunities for farmers and ranchers to achieve financial viability by helping them identify potential savings that could be reinvested in their farming and ranching operation, retirement accounts, or college savings accounts.
Producers can access the Debt Consolidation Tool by visiting farmers.gov/debt-consolidation-tool. The tool is built to run on modern browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. Producers do not need to create a farmers.gov account or access the authenticated customer portal to use the tool.
USDA encourages producers to reach out to their local FSA farm loan staff to ensure they fully understand the wide range of loan and servicing options available to assist with starting, expanding, or maintaining their agricultural operation. To conduct business with FSA, please contact your local USDA Service Center.
Producers are encouraged to call their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to ensure maximum use of their time and to make sure FSA staff is available to tend to their important business needs. Please call your local FSA office ahead to set an appointment and to discuss any records or documentation that might be needed during your appointment. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $10,000.
Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien
- Be 10 years to 20 years of age
- Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements
- Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above
- Demonstrate capability of planning, managing and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the enrollment period for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for the 2026 coverage year, an important safety net program that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. Dairy producers can enroll in DMC from January 12, 2026, to February 26, 2026.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) reauthorized DMC for calendar years 2026 through 2031 and provided substantial program improvements, including establishing new production history and increasing Tier 1 coverage.
The OBBBA increased DMC’s Tier 1 coverage level increased from five million pounds to six million pounds. All dairy operations that elect to enroll in DMC for 2026 will establish a new production history.
- Existing dairy operations that started marketing milk on or before January 1, 2023, will use the higher of milk marketings for the years of 2021, 2022, or 2023.
- New dairy operations starting after January 1, 2023, will use their first year of monthly milk marketings, even for a partial year.
- Milk marketing statements or production evidence are required to establish a production history.
Dairy operations also have the option to lock-in coverage levels for six years (2026-2031) with premium fees discounted by 25%.
DMC offers different levels of coverage, including an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.
For more information visit the DMC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
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USDA in Georgia
Service Center Locator
State Executive Director - Duncan N. Johnson, Jr.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
State Conservationist - Terrance O. Rudolph
Regional Director - Davina S. Lee
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