Conservation cost share programs help farmers and landowners pay for and implement best management practices (or BMPs). BMPs are practices, like planting cover crops or fencing cattle out of streams, that address a natural resources concern, like erosion or sedimentation. There are several cost-share programs, and each one is different in its focus and eligibility requirements. For the most part, cost-share programs pay for roughly 75% of the cost of installing the BMP, and landowners pay for the remaining 25%. Each cost-share program is competitive, meaning applications are ranked objectively, and the highest ranking projects receive funding. Applying for cost-share assistance is free, and although there is no guarantee that funding will be available, it certainly doesn’t hurt to apply.
Below is a description of the current Cost Share Programs implemented through the Conservation Office:
The Agricultural Cost Share Program (ACSP): This state-funded program focuses on water quality, specifically preventing sedimentation and streambank erosion on farms. To qualify for this program, farms must have been in operation for three years, and have legitimate sedimentation or streambank erosion problem. Popular BMPs in this program include cattle waterers and stream fencing, drip irrigation for produce farms, grassed waterways to remediate rills and gullies, and cropland conversion to pastureland incentives. Since 1991, the ACSP has allocated over $1,000,000 to conservation practices in Cleveland County.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): This federally funded program is focused on a broad spectrum of natural resource concerns. Popular BMPs in Cleveland County include litter sheds and composters for poultry farms, high tunnels for produce farms, cattle waterers, and stream fencing.
Agricultural Water Resources Program (AgWRAP): Created in 2011, this state-funded program focuses on water quantity. It provides financial assistance for farmers who need wells or ponds for irrigation or for livestock. If you want to build a pond to go fishing in, keep looking elsewhere, but if you truly need a pond for irrigation purposes, then this program may be able to help.
Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP): This state-funded program targets landowners and community organizations to improve water quality. BMPs include rain cisterns for school greenhouses, rain gardens, grassed waterways, abandoned well closures, and streambank restoration.