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 funding. 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 items available for landowner use and projects.

Activities

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

Links for Landowners...

Low Impact Development Approaches (LIDA) Handbook. This is the culmination of much work to provide a useful guide to promote low impact development in the Tualatin Basin. Colorful illustrated fact sheets and photos show LIDA facilities in the region, and standard details and inspection checklists show how to design and maintain them.
Benton County Soil Survey -- This online version replaces the 1975 books. You’ll still need to use the Web soil survey to identify the soils on your land and to make maps.
Clean Water Services -Native Plants -- Clean Water Services provides information to help find the perfect native plant given the conditions at your site.
Clean Water Services - Invasive plants -- Clean Water Services provides help with the identification of invasive plants.
Urban Soil Primer -- This publication is to help people who live in cities understand soil and to help them know where and how to get information about soils.
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.
Soils Information Online. -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service Web Soils Survey includes tables, text and software to make soils map.
Oregon Soil Survey Data -- soil maps, data reports and tables of soil properties and interpretations
Natural Resources Conservation Service -- Learn why conservation planning is important, access conservation worksheets, understand how conservation systems work, read about practices to enhance your land stewardship and see a table of technical and financial assistance resources
Oregon State University Extension Service Publications and Multimedia Catalog -- Access a wealth of information from agriculture to emergency response. Includes videos. Many documents are available free online.
Natural Resources Conservation Service Soils Website -- Publications about soil properties, mapping and soil quality.
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 -- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: A Self-Assessment: Protecting Salmon/Fish by Your Choices.
Find out more about Seavy Meadows -- and the potential threat to this urban wetland community.