Landowners

Grants/Funding

1 - Conservation Incentive Program – We’ll meet you half way!

Benton SWCD’s Conservation Incentive Program, funded through local property taxes, is available to help Benton County implement conservation practices on their land. The program’s primary goals are to protect and maintain water and soil quality.

Here are some details:

• The maximum payment awarded to a successful grant application is $4,000.
• Benton SWCD will pay 50% of the project cost, up to $4,000.
• Applicants are required to provide 50% of the project funds, which can be provided as labor costs, materials, cash, or financial assistance from other sources.
• If the application is requesting technical assistance funds, then the District would pay up to 75% of technical assistance costs and applicant pays 25% of requested funds.
• An electronic version of the application form is available by clicking on your preferred format: PDF or WORD.

The list below contains examples of CIP Projects - We are ready to help address your conservation concerns!

• Cover crops
• Forestry practices
• Heavy use area protection
• Native plantings for restoration
• Irrigation systems for water conservation
• Wildlife habitat enhancement/restoration
• Vegetation management for desired species
• Livestock building gutter/roof runoff projects
• Noxious/invasive weed removal associated with native plant restoration
• Permanent erosion control (filterstrips, field borders, grassed waterways)
• Pasture management (cross-fencing, reseeding, grazing mgmt)
• Temporary erosion control (silt fences, straw waddles, etc.)
• Watering facilities away from sensitive areas for livestock
• Manure storage facilities (dry stack, compost structures)
• Technical assistance to assure project implementation
• Fencing to exclude livestock from surface water

2 - OWEB Small Grant Program

Benton County Landowners...Now is the time to take advantage of the OWEB Small Grant Program for Conservation and Restoration Projects

What types of projects are funded?

• Riparian vegetation establishment, weed control, and stream bank stabilization
• Riparian protection from grazing, fencing and off-stream livestock water facilities
• Pasture and cropland management to improve infiltration of precipitation
• Conservation practices that reduce nutrients, sediments and other pollutants from entering water bodies
• Projects to eliminate/minimize barriers to fish passage
• Upland and wetland wildlife habitat improvement
• and other restoration activities defined under urban, rural residential, agricultural and forestry project types...

How to Apply

Contact the Benton SWCD (753-7208)  to obtain further information, application forms, and to find out if your project fits the criteria for finding .  Applications may be made at any time  and will be evaluated competitively with other projects in the area until all funds are allocated (up to June 2007).

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Equipment

See the Buy/Rent/Borrow pages for information on equipment and itmes available for landowner use and projects.

Activities

See the Calendar/Events pages for information on local activities and events.

Links for Landowners...

•   Riparian Vegetation Management - Useful riparian restoration information under various categories: Riparian Planting and Vegetation Management (7 links), Watershed (2 links and 1 video), Extension Publications for Landowners (7 publications – 5 links), Websites (6 links), Extension Forestry Contacts for riparian vegetation management (3 contacts).
• Institute for Applied Ecology - a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to conservation research, ecological education and native seed use.
• Benton Soils Information Online. -- Includes tables, text and software to make soils map.
• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Publications. -- Links to several useful publications such as the Guide to Oregon Permits, Watershed Restoration Technical Guides, Water Quality Monitoring Guides, the OWEB Watershed Assessment Manual and other resources.
• Tips for Small Acreage Landowners. -- Fact sheets developed by Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District, OWEB, OACD, and NRCS.  January 1999.
• Naturescaping for Wildlife. -- Tips for landowners, educational resources.  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODF&W).
• Watershed Stewardship Education Program (WSEP). -- A series of 8 basic trainings that provide practical watershed education to watershed groups, farmers, foresters, and urban residents.   Master Watershed Steward training also available.  Developed by OSU Extension/Sea Grant Oregon.
• Water Conservation Publications -- most available on-line from OSU Extenstion Service.
• National Soil Survey Center -- Get soil quality fact sheets and other publications, links, etc.
• Backyard Conservation -- tip sheets developed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
• Backyard Ponds -- links to other sites with small backyard pond information.
• Backyard Wildlife Habitat -- How to create Backyard and Schoolyard Habitats.
• Your Impact on Salmon/Fish -- A Self-Assessment:  Protecting Salmon/Fish by Your Choices.
• Research Sources for Oregon Watershed Councils -- collection of reference materials to help with watershed assessments or other projects.
• Find out more about Seavy Meadows and the potential threat to this urban wetland community.