What is this program?
A one-time block grant directing federal disaster dollars to Vermont's farm and forest economy — with timber losses named alongside agriculture.
USDA Farm Service Agency
$31.7 million was allocated for Vermont under the American Relief Act of 2025, routed through USDA FSA.
VAAFM directed
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is expected to design the specific rules and distribute the funds.
2023 & 2024 events
Gap-filling aid for severe storms, flooding (such as Tropical Storm Beryl), and extreme moisture.
The program is tied to the American Relief Act of 2025 and is intended to support recovery from severe storms, flooding, and weather extremes in 2023 and 2024. VAAFM is expected to develop and administer the Vermont application process, with applications expected in 2026. Final rules are not yet available. The program appears broader than farm-only relief because timber losses and timber-related impacts are specifically included in the announcement.
Bottom lineIf your logging business, timber sale, forest access, woods road, bridge, culvert, landing, timber value, or timber market was affected by 2023 or 2024 disasters, you should begin gathering records now.
Why forestry should pay attention: Standard disaster aid often misses the woods. This block grant specifically names the forestry sector alongside agriculture — a rare, targeted opportunity to recover costs that FEMA, EQIP, or standard crop insurance simply do not cover. Final VAAFM rules will determine the details.
Who may be able to apply?
Final eligibility must come from VAAFM. Based on comparable state block-grant programs, the following applicant types are likely or potentially relevant.
Likely or potentially relevant applicants
- Farmers and agricultural producers
- Timber producers
- Forest landowners with documented timber or access losses
- Logging businesses affected by storm or flood impacts
- Businesses with damaged woods roads, bridges, culverts, landings, or other working-lands infrastructure
- Businesses affected by timber market disruption or canceled/delayed timber sales
- Maple operations with forest access or timber/woods infrastructure impacts
- Firewood, sawmill, trucking, and other forest-products businesses if final rules include market or supply-chain losses
Eligibility signal by type
Based on comparator state programs — not final VAAFM rules.
Strong Timber owner / landowner — direct timber value loss is widely covered.
Strong Timber-rights holder — holding the cutting rights/deed means you hold the production risk.
Uncertain Logging contractor (no timber rights) — may hinge on proving repaired infrastructure or market disruption.
Uncertain Sawmill / firewood producer — downstream supply-chain eligibility awaits VAAFM's final definitions.
Important eligibility questionIt is not yet clear whether logging contractors who do not own the timber will be directly eligible, or whether they will need to apply through a timber owner, document business interruption, or fit another applicant category. This is one of the most important issues to watch when VAAFM releases guidance.
The owner
If you own the timber or rights: prepare as a full producer. Document your standing timber value loss, salvage values, and disrupted sales.
The service provider
If you only provide harvesting services: you cannot claim the landowner's lost timber value. Focus documentation on lost operating days and canceled contracts, market disruption and missed mill quotas, and private woods roads and access infrastructure you paid to repair.
What losses or costs may be covered?
The announcement points to five broad loss categories. Specific items below are potentially relevant and must be confirmed against final VAAFM guidance.
Infrastructure & access
- Woods-road repairs
- Forest access roads
- Farm roads serving timber or ag production
- Bridges, culverts, stream crossings
- Landings and drainage improvements
- Erosion repairs
- Gravel, ditching, shaping, stabilization, road hardening
- Contractor costs and materials, if allowed by final rules
Timber losses
- Damaged standing timber
- Lost timber value
- Washed-out or inaccessible timber sales
- Storm- or flood-damaged timber
- Salvage-related costs
- Lost stumpage value
- Timber made unmerchantable or inaccessible
Market & business disruption
- Canceled timber sales
- Delayed harvests
- Lost operating days
- Missed mill deliveries
- Supply-chain disruption
- Higher trucking or rerouting costs
- Revenue reductions tied directly to 2023/2024 impacts
Bare-ground & land-degradation prevention
- Seeding and mulching
- Stabilization and erosion control
- Landing stabilization
- Roadside stabilization
- Drainage stabilization
- Practices to prevent further land degradation after flood or storm damage
Future economic losses
The announcement refers to future economic losses, but final rules will need to define what that means. Possible examples may include delayed harvest revenue, loss of timber value, future repair needs, or disaster-related business impacts that extend beyond the immediate event. Applicants should be prepared to document the connection between the disaster and the claimed future loss.
Do not assume all of these items are eligible until VAAFM publishes final program guidance. The safest approach is to document the loss, the cause, the cost, and any other assistance already received.
Start gathering proof now
Documentation will likely make or break applications. Build these five files now — tap any group to expand the checklist.
Business & identity records
- Business name
- Tax ID or Social Security number
- W-9
- Vermont business registration, if applicable
- LLC or corporation records, if applicable
- Tax returns
- Schedule C / Schedule F, P&L statements, invoices, accounting reports
- Proof the business was operating before the disaster
Property, timber, or operating rights
- Deeds
- Leases
- Timber sale contracts
- Cutting contracts
- Road-use agreements
- Written permission from landowners
- Forest management plans
- Current Use / Use Value Appraisal documents
- Maps of affected areas
- Forester records
Disaster connection
- Date of the storm or flood event
- Location of damage
- Before-and-after photos
- GPS points
- Maps
- Town road closure notices
- Weather reports
- Emails, texts, or written notices from landowners, mills, truckers, or foresters
- Job notes, dispatch records, load records, or equipment logs
Cost & loss records
- Invoices and estimates
- Paid receipts
- Contractor bids
- Equipment repair bills
- Materials receipts
- Gravel, culvert, bridge, trucking, or roadwork costs
- Mill tickets and load slips
- Settlement sheets
- Timber cruise reports
- Forester certifications
- Production records from prior years
- Canceled contracts
- Records of lost work days or missed deliveries
Other assistance received
- Insurance claims
- Insurance denial letters
- FEMA records
- USDA program records
- BEGAP records
- NRCS records
- State grant records
- Any other disaster recovery payments
Avoid duplication problemsMost disaster programs will not pay twice for the same loss. The block grant is expected to fill only the net uncovered gap — your gross damage cost minus what insurance, FEMA, NRCS, BEGAP, and salvage income already paid. Keep a clear record of what each insurance claim, grant, loan, or disaster program covered and what remains unpaid.
What this could mean for logging operations
Five common situations, and the documentation that would support each.
Washed-out access to an active job
A logger could not operate because roads, bridges, or culverts failed. Document: the job location, dates work stopped, photos, landowner communication, contracts, production records, and repair estimates.
Canceled or delayed timber sale
A timber sale was canceled, delayed, or reduced because of flood or storm impacts. Document: the timber sale contract, pre-disaster expectations, communications, forester notes, and any revised sale records.
Woods-road or landing repairs
A business paid to repair roads, crossings, landings, or drainage so work could resume. Document: photos, invoices, maps, contractor bills, materials receipts, and notes explaining why the repairs were disaster-related.
Equipment damage
A skidder, truck, trailer, loader, harvester, forwarder, chainsaw, fuel tank, or other equipment was damaged by floodwater, washouts, mud, or storm debris. Document: repair bills, photos, insurance records, and a clear explanation of how the damage was caused.
Market or delivery disruption
A logger lost operating days or delivery opportunities because mills, roads, timber sales, or trucking routes were disrupted. Document: prior-year production, scheduled jobs, mill tickets, load records, correspondence, and lost-work notes.
Some of these situations may be eligible only if final VAAFM rules include business interruption, market disruption, contractor losses, or indirect timber-related losses. The purpose of preparing now is to be ready if those categories are included.
What to do now
You don't have to wait for the portal to open to start gathering proof. Work this list while the evidence is still fresh.
- Make a list of every 2023 or 2024 storm/flood-related loss.
- Separate losses by property, timber sale, job, business activity, or infrastructure item.
- Gather before-and-after photos.
- Map each affected location.
- Collect invoices, estimates, receipts, contracts, and load records.
- Write a short explanation of what happened and when.
- Identify any insurance, FEMA, USDA, BEGAP, NRCS, or other assistance already received.
- Ask your forester, accountant, contractor, landowner, or mill for supporting records.
- Keep new repair costs separate in your accounting system.
- Watch the VAAFM page for official application instructions.
- 01 Business Records
- 02 Property and Timber Rights
- 03 Photos and Maps
- 04 Contracts and Timber Sales
- 05 Infrastructure Damage
- 06 Timber Losses
- 07 Market Disruption
- 08 Invoices and Receipts
- 09 Insurance and Other Assistance
- 10 Application Drafts
Questions we are watching
Key issues that remain unresolved until VAAFM publishes final rules.
- Are logging contractors directly eligible?
- How will "timber producer" be defined?
- Are contractors eligible if they do not own the timber?
- Are forest roads, woods roads, landings, culverts, bridges, and stream crossings eligible?
- Are completed repairs reimbursable?
- Can the program pay for future planned repairs?
- Is equipment damage eligible?
- Are lost operating days eligible?
- Are market disruptions eligible?
- Are canceled timber sales eligible?
- How should timber losses be valued?
- Will forester certification be required?
- Is there a match requirement?
- Are there payment caps?
- Will awards be prorated if demand exceeds funding?
- Can this be combined with insurance, FEMA, BEGAP, USDA, or NRCS assistance?
- What records prove no duplication of benefits?
- Will applicants need a USDA FSA farm number, state vendor registration, Unique Entity ID, or SAM registration?
- Will VAAFM offer webinars, office hours, or technical assistance?
This page will be updated as soon as VAAFM or USDA releases more tangible application rules, deadlines, eligibility definitions, documentation requirements, or payment details.
How to apply
Applications are expected to open in 2026. Final application instructions, deadlines, forms, eligibility rules, documentation requirements, and payment details will come from VAAFM. Until then, affected businesses should prepare records and watch the official VAAFM flood recovery page.
When the application opens, applicants should expect to provide basic business information, a description of the disaster-related loss, documentation of the loss amount, proof the loss was tied to covered 2023 or 2024 events, and information about any insurance, USDA, FEMA, state, or other disaster assistance already received.
Official VAAFM Flood Recovery Page Forest Business School Explainer DeckHelp for Forest Business School graduates
If you are a Forest Business School graduate and need help thinking through whether this opportunity may apply to your situation, or how to organize documentation before the application opens, you can reach out to Steve Bick at steve@northeastforests.com.
This is not official grant administration, not a guarantee of eligibility, and not a substitute for VAAFM guidance.