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STAKEHOLDER ANNOUNCEMENT

On Oct. 1, USDA Rural Development Programs Will Begin Following USDA NEPA Regulations for Determining Compliance

WASHINGTON, August 6, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development today announced that, on Oct. 1, 2025, it will begin using 7 CFR 1b to determine compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

On June 30th, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the USDA was revising NEPA regulations to reduce unnecessary red tape that kills jobs and raises prices for Americans. This reform allows the Department to efficiently deliver the critical services and funds America’s ranchers, farmers, loggers, and rural communities rely on and corrects the harms caused by decades of unnecessarily lengthy, cumbersome NEPA reviews.

Beginning October 1, 2025, all applications for funding from Rural Development will need to follow requirements found at 7 CFR 1b. Applications filed prior to October 1, 2025 will continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis under prior NEPA policies and procedures or 7 CFR 1b.

For more information about the transition to the 7 CFR 1b., please contact your RD State Office representative at https://www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/state-offices or National Office representative at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

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