S. 4851: Supporting Conservation through Advancing Local Efforts Act of 2026

This bill would create a new federal grant program to help states and eligible Indian tribes pay for projects that improve soil health and wildlife habitat on agricultural land.

What the program would do

The bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give grants to states and tribes that already have, or want to start, a soil health and wildlife habitat program. These programs would need to be broadly consistent with USDA soil health principles, which can include practices like using perennial grasses and other methods aimed at improving land conditions.

The grants could support activities such as:

• technical assistance
• financial assistance
• on-farm research and demonstration projects
• education, outreach, and training
• monitoring and evaluation
• other activities the Secretary of Agriculture thinks are appropriate

Who could receive grants

Eligible applicants would be:

• States that are implementing a new or existing soil health and wildlife habitat program and meeting their own performance measures
• Indian tribes that are implementing such a program in their jurisdiction and meeting their own performance measures

Tribes would be allowed, if they choose, to be included in a state’s application.

How the grants would work

The grants would be available for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. A grant could be up to $10 million per year for a state or tribe, and each grant would last 5 years and could be renewed.

States would generally have to provide matching funds equal to the federal amount, either in cash or in-kind contributions. If a state cannot match the full amount, the federal grant would be reduced proportionally based on the amount of matching funds the state can provide.

Reporting and oversight

Applicants would have to describe how they will measure results and assure that the federal money will add to, not replace, their own spending on these efforts.

Recipients would also have to submit annual audit results showing how the grant money was spent. If a state or tribe does not comply with the grant terms, the Secretary of Agriculture could bar them from getting future grants for one or more years.

Funding and administrative limits

The bill would set aside $50 million per year from Commodity Credit Corporation funds for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

The Department of Agriculture could use no more than 3% of the funds for administrative costs, and states or tribes could use no more than 7% of their grant funds for administration.

Grants would need to be awarded within 180 days after the law takes effect.

Limits on federal control

The bill says grants could not be conditioned on USDA requirements, guidelines, technical standards, or administrative directives, and could not be used to force changes to soil health and wildlife habitat programs run by states or local governments.

Relevant Companies

None found