Incentive Programs
Crawford County Summary of Conservation Programs
SWCD/NRCS staff provide technical and financial assistance to area landowners through a variety of conservation related programs and opportunities.
H2Ohio- Ohio Department of Ag program that provides payments to producers that implement conservation on their farms. The H2Ohio program works closely with producers to enhance conservation efforts on their farms through incentive payments for nutrient management, cover crops, small grain planting and manure management. https://h2.ohio.gov
- Lake Erie Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (LE CREP) – Ohio Department of Ag program that provides increased incentives for certain CRP practices in the Lake Erie Watershed. Increases annual CRP rental rates by up to 200% and provides additional sign-up bonuses up to $200/acre. Eligible practices include grass filter strips, streamside tree plantings, wetland developments, and windbreaks. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-enhancement/index
- Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) – USDA conservation incentive program provides cost share for eligible practices including: manure storage facilities; compost facilities; high tunnel houses for specialty crop production; cover crops; nutrient management; forestry management-grapevine & other invasive species control, tree planting; pasture management-fence & waterlines. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip/
- Bucyrus City Storm Water Management Program – This program is a cooperative partnership between the City of Bucyrus Wastewater Treatment and the Crawford SWCD. The Crawford SWCD provides voluntary assistance through educational programs and Best Management Practices to city residents. The goal of the program is to raise citizen awareness of local storm water runoff related issues and provide the necessary tools for individual residents to reduce the amount of storm runoff in the cities storm water system. Items include rain barrel information, rain garden design information, professional presentations for adults and children, and a variety of associated backyard conservation practices.
* Storm Water Management Brochure
* Rain Garden Manual * Home Composting Brochure * Adult and Youth Professional Presentations Brochure
- North West Ohio Windbreak Program – Windbreak planting program through a partnership with Ohio Div. of Forestry. This is a “turn-key” program that provides the trees, equipment and labor to plant field windbreaks in Northwest Ohio. Works very well with LE CREP windbreak incentives to provide a “minimal cost/no labor” opportunity for landowners to establish tree windbreaks on their property.
- Ohio Pollution Abatement Program – Ohio Department of Ag program providing state cost share funds to install practices that solve existing pollution problems from animal waste and sediment. https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/soil-and-water-conservation/agricultural-pollution-abatement
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – USDA’s largest conservation program has several options. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-program/
- General CRP- UDSA land retirements or “set-aside” program that pays landowners incentives to take cropland out of production and establish conservation cover practices. Large acreage or “whole farms” are commonly planted to grasses and/or trees under this program. This program has an application period and is competitively bid.
- Continuous CRP– USDA conservation program that pays landowners and incentive to establish leu conservation practices on marginal cropland. Practices include grass filter strips, grassed waterways, riparian tree buffers, SAFE plantings. windbreaks, field borders, or creating wetlands. Unlike regular CRP, this program has an open application period allowing a landowner to sign up for incentives at any time. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp
- State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) CRP – A continuous CRP program aimed at restoring habitat vital to meet state wildlife conservation needs. SAFE provides landowners increased incentive payments for planting grasses and pollinator friendly plants. like other continuous programs, sing up is on-going.
- Wetland Reserve Easement – USDA incentive program for landowners who wish to establish or enhance existing wetlands on their property. Landowners receive cost share incentive payments to establish or restore wetlands and an additional payment for placing the conservation easement on the wetland enrolled.