Opportunities are available for Yamhill County farmers, ranchers and forest owners, and land leasee’s to perform voluntary conservation activities with financial assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Next application deadline November 20

NRCS Oregon announced new sign-up deadlines for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP). Applicants must apply by November 20, 2020 to be considered for the first round of fiscal year 2021 funding.

To apply for EQIP, contact your local McMinnville NRCS Field Office. 

Thomas Hoskins at 503-376-7605 or Sergio Villasenor at 503-376-7607

The November 20 deadline applies to the following funding pools:

  • Ag Water Quality EQIP: Offers financial assistance within the focused watersheds of the Yamhill River (See Oregon NRCS website for the interactive map).  This program cost-shares the implementation of drip irrigation conversion, irrigation pumps and VFD’s, adoption of cover crops, and adoption of no-till planting practices within the focus area.
  • Erosion in Orchards EQIP: Offers financial assistance throughout Yamhill County to incentivize the adoption of cover crops, and no-till practices in the understory of Hazelnut Orchards to reduce soil erosion.  NRCS and Yamhill SWCD are working in partnership and both entities are offering cost-share agreements for the adoption of these soil conserving practices.
  • Healthy Forests EQIP: Offers financial assistance within a focus area in Western Yamhill County (See Oregon NRCS website for the interactive map).  This program cost-shares practices that will enable forest owners to implement Pre-commercial thinning, interspecies planting, brush control, and many other practices, that will help diversify the forest landscape, and reduce wildfire risks associated with overstocked stands of trees.
  • Yamhill Oak Restoration RCPP-EQIP projects. RCPP funding will provide investments in oak and prairie habitats in Yamhill County. This will fund practices typically associated with oak and prairie restoration projects under similar contracting procedures as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to address the primary resource concern of Wildlife Habitat Degradation/Terrestrial Habitat, including Douglas Fir removal from Oak stands, thinning, brush management, and replanting native understory vegetation within the Oak Savanah areas.
  • Organic EQIP: Offers financial assistance to USDA certified organic producers and to producers wishing to transition their operation to obtain an organic certification.
  • Seasonal High Tunnel EQIP: Offers financial assistance to install a seasonal high tunnel (hoop house) to extend seasonal crop production to strengthen local and regional food markets while reducing pesticide use and energy inputs.
  • On-Farm Energy EQIP: Assists producers to conserve energy on their farms through an on-farm energy audit and provides assistance to implement various recommended measures identified in an energy audit.
  • Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) Initiative: Available to AFO producers statewide to address water quality and air quality resource concerns by developing a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan to manage manure and organic byproducts; and to implement conservation practices identified in that plan.
  • Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP): NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to secure easements for both working agricultural lands and for wetlands. The program has two components: one for Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) and one for Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). Learn more on the Oregon ACEP webpage.
Published On: November 3, 2020