Tribal Nations Guide to the Farm Bill 2.0

What the Farm Bill 2.0 does for tribal nations

Tribal-specific provisions appear across multiple titles. Some are explicit; some operate through general programs with tribal eligibility carve-outs.

Title II, Conservation

ACEP for tribal land

• 30-year wetland reserve easements (continues; expanded to socially disadvantaged farmers)
• Tribal eligibility maintained for ACEP

FCEP for tribal forest land

• 30-year forest land easements specifically for Indian Tribes (contract-based)
• 30-year forest reserve easements specifically for Indian Tribes
• Tribal land tenure considerations addressed

Soil Health Program

• 75% federal cost share for tribal programs (vs. 50% for state programs)

Title V, Credit

Heirs’ property relending

• Particularly relevant for tribal lands with allotment-era complications
• CDFI intermediaries include Native CDFIs

USDA loan programs

• Tribal eligibility maintained
• Higher loan limits benefit larger tribal agricultural operations

Title VI, Rural Development

Tribal broadband

• Satellite eligibility unlock benefits remote tribal communities
• Specific tribal broadband considerations in rural broadband program

Tribal Community Facilities

• Health, education, public safety facilities on tribal land
• Behavioral health prioritization especially relevant given tribal mental health needs

Indian land-related programs

• Various tribal-specific provisions in Title VI

Title VII, Research, Extension

1994 Land-Grant Institutions

The “1994 land-grants”, tribal colleges and universities, receive distinct provisions from the 1890s. Programs include:

• Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act funding
• Research and extension at tribal colleges
• Coordination with USDA tribal liaisons

Title VIII, Forestry

Tribal forest management

• Tribal forest land use plans
• Coordination with Indian Self-Determination Act authorities
• Tribal forestry assistance

Title XII, Miscellaneous

Foreign agricultural land ownership

• Reporting requirements may interact with tribal land tenure (most tribal land is held in trust by federal government, separate from foreign ownership concerns)

Animal disease and welfare

• Tribal livestock operations
• Coordination with tribal animal health authorities

Food sovereignty considerations

Several provisions support tribal food sovereignty:

• Local food purchasing grants for tribal food banks and food sovereignty programs
• Specialty Crop Block Grants with tribal eligibility
• Tribal nations in conservation programs

The 2026 farm bill doesn’t include sweeping new food sovereignty initiatives, but it builds on existing frameworks.

Tribal-specific federal contacts

USDA Office of Tribal Relations

Primary federal point of contact for tribal-USDA coordination.

USDA Indian Liaisons

USDA agencies (FSA, NRCS, RD, FAS, FNS) have designated Indian liaisons.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Coordinates with USDA on tribal land matters.

Native CDFIs

Community development financial institutions serving tribal communities.

Major tribal nations and their farm bill stakes

Northern Plains tribes (Oglala, Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, etc.)

• Cattle and bison operations
• Animal disease traceability concerns
• Heirs’ property relending
• Title VIII grasslands programs

Southwest tribes (Navajo, Hopi, Tohono O’odham, etc.)

• Sheep and cattle operations
• Water programs (Title II watershed)
• Drought response
• Specialty crop framework (chile peppers, traditional foods)

Pacific Northwest tribes

• Forestry programs
• FCEP forest reserve easements
• Salmon habitat conservation
• Coordination with treaty rights

Alaska Native Villages and Corporations

• Subsistence considerations
• ANCSA-related provisions
• Rural community development

Eastern tribes

• Heirs’ property relending
• Local food sovereignty programs
• Specialty crops

Practical action items

1. Connect with USDA Office of Tribal Relations: federal coordination
2. Engage with Intertribal Agriculture Council: primary national tribal ag organization
3. Identify tribal-specific provisions in any program of interest
4. Coordinate with tribal college if your tribe has one (1994 land-grant)
5. Document tribal land tenure for federal program participation

Related

• Heirs’ Property Relending Program
• 1890 Land-Grant Funding
• Title VI Rural Development Pillar

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