Programs

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Oregon NRCS Programs

NRCS's natural resources conservation programs help people reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. Public benefits include enhanced natural resources that help sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality while supporting continued economic development, recreation, and scenic beauty.

Financial Assistance Programs
Grant Programs
Stewardship Programs
Easement Programs
Conservation Technical Assistance Programs
Community Programs
Other Conservation Programs
National Programs Division

Financial Assistance Programs

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - Voluntary financial and technical assistance for structural and management conservation practices on working agricultural lands.

EQIP Organic Initiative - Special EQIP funding is available to organic growers that are certified organic, transitioning organic or those who make under $5,000 of gross organic product farm sales.

EQIP Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative – A Program available to agricultural producers, designed to strengthen local and regional food markets and increase the use of sustainable conservation practices that will improve plant and soil quality, reduce nutrient and pesticide transport and reduce energy inputs.

EQIP Energy Initiative - Assist producers to conserve energy on their farms through an Agriculture Energy Management Plan (AgEMP), also known as an on-farm energy audit and provide assistance to implement various recommended measures identified in an energy audit.

EQIP Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) - A program under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) through which NRCS may enter into partnership agreements with eligible entities to conserve ground and surface water and/or improve water quality in a priority area or region.

EQIP Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) - A program that utilizes the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) through which NRCS may enter into partnership agreements with eligible entities to address resource concerns in a priority area.

EQIP Water Quality Initiative (WQI) - A program under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) through which NRCS will assist producers to improve water quality on their farm or ranch in a priority watersheds.

Sage-Grouse Initiative - Focuses on making measurable and significant progress toward treating a specific threat to sage-grouse on private lands through strategic use of conservation programs.

Klamath Drought Initiative - Provided farmers in the Klamath reclamation project area with technical and financial assistance that addressed the most immediate and critical drought-related soil erosion concerns in FY 10.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) - Voluntary technical and financial assistance to non-federal landowners and tribes to create, restore, and enhance fish and wildlife habitats.

Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) - A new partnership between NRCS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to use agency technical expertise combined with $33 million in financial assistance from the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program to combat the decline of seven specific wildlife species whose decline can be reversed and will benefit other species with similar habitat needs.

Grant Programs

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - Grants to promote and demonstrate new technologies and approaches that can assist agricultural producers address natural resource issues.

Stewardship Programs

Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) (2008 Farm Bill)- Voluntary program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by undertaking additional conservation activities and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities.

Conservation Security Program (2002 Farm Bill - NRCS is not taking new applications.) - Voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of private lands - NOTE: the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) replaces the Conservation Security Program with the new Conservation Stewardship Program for fiscal years 2009 through 2017.

Easement Programs

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - Administered by the Farms Service Agency (FSA), it is a program that encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to permanent vegetative cover.

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) - A program that allows productive farm and ranch lands to remain in agricultural production under private ownership.

Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) - A program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance grasslands.

Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP) - A program to help landowners manage their land for sustainable, profitable timber harvests while securing long-term protection from regulatory restrictions.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) - A voluntary land easement program to help people restore, enhance, and protect wetlands.

Conservation Technical Assistance Programs

Conservation Planning Assistance - A guide to assist farmers, ranchers and other landowners plan and develop conservation measures to: improve operations, protect water quality and quantity; promote high quality, productive soils; develop healthy plant and animal communities; and more.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) - Coordination of efforts to identify priority issues, find solutions, and effect change on private grazing land.

Water Resources Planning - Natural resource information on each of Oregon's 8-Digit Hydrologic Units, or watersheds.

Soils Information and the Soil Survey Program - Soils related information including soil survey maps and reports.

Snow Survey and and Water Supply Forecasting - Mountain snowpack data and streamflow forecasts for the western United States.

Oregon National Resource Inventory - A statistical survey of land use and natural resource conditions and trends on U.S. non-Federal lands.

Corvallis Plant Materials Center - Develops conservation plant solutions and technology applicable for western Oregon and Washington.

Aberdeen Plant Materials Center - Develops conservation plant solutions and technology applicable for the landscapes of the Intermountain West.

Pullman Plant Materials Center - Develops conservation plant solutions and technology applicable for eastern Oregon and Washington.

Community Assistance Programs

Resource Conservation & Development Councils (RC&D) - Strategies and assistance to help rural communities plan, develop and carry out programs for resource conservation and development.

Other Conservation Programs

Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) - Program to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements to safeguard lives and property due to damages from floods, drought, fire or other natural occurrences.

National NRCS Programs

National USDA NRCS Conservation Programs