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Other Conservation Options

The Sandhills Area Land Trust is just one organization in our region that can help landowners protect, enhance, and manage their lands. Check out the links below for information about other programs that might be of interest.

Federal Programs

  • Agricultural Management Assistance Program
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    Cost-share program for farmers to improve environmental management.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Conservation Technical Assistance Program
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    The Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Program provides technical assistance to help people conserve, maintain, and improve their natural resources. The CTA Program provides the technical capability, including direct conservation planning, design, and implementation assistance, that helps people plan and apply conservation on the land.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Conservation Reserve Program
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    Annual payments and cost share to establish resource-conserving ground covers on eligible farmland. Encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filter strips, or riparian buffers.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/crp/
    http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    Voluntary contracts up to 10 yrs provide incentive payments and cost-shares to implement conservation practices for farmers and ranchers. Technical advice is provided to help landowner implement environmentally sound management.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    A voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land. Provides both technical assistance and up to 75 percent cost-share assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. Designed to reverse decline of farmland-associated wildlife species.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Wetlands Reserve Program
    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
    A voluntary program for landowners to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. Program provides technical and financial support for wetland restoration efforts.
    http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.

S&WCD-NRCS Offices for

  • Cumberland County: 910-484-8479
  • Harnett County 910-893-7584
  • Hoke County: 910-875-8685
  • Moore County: 910-947-5183
  • Richmond County: 910-997-8244
  • Scotland County: 910-277-2433
  • Partners for Fish and Wildlife
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Voluntary 10 yr or longer agreements to improve federal trust species and their habitats. Focus on wetlands, rivers, and longleaf ecosystems. Technical and financial assistance provided.
    http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/pfw.html
    Contact (919) 856-4520
  • Safe Harbor Program
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Establishes agreements with landowners that assure that if they restore or enhance habitat for endangered species, they won't incur any new restrictions if their actions result in an endangered species taking up residence.
    http://www.fws.gov/ncsandhills/safe_harbor.html
    Contact (910) 695-3323

State and Local Programs

  • NC Agricultural Cost Share Program
    NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
    Participating farmers receive 75% of predetermined average costs of installed best management practices (BMPs) with the remaining 25% paid by farmers directly or through in-kind contributions. http://www.enr.state.nc.us/dswc/pages/agcostshareprogram.html
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Conservation Reserve Enhancements Program (CREP)
    NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
    Designed to take agricultural land out of production for 10-15 years and restore to wildlife habitat. Landowners receive payments for installing specific conservation practices along watercourses on agricultural land. Cost sharing will be available for installation of forested riparian buffers, grassed filter strips, wetlands restoration practices, water control structures, livestock exclusion, and remote livestock watering.
    http://www.enr.state.nc.us/dswc/pages/crep.html
    http://www.enr.state.nc.us/dswc/pages/district%20offices.html
    Natalie Jones: (252) 948-3902
    Call your county Soil & Water Conservation District Office for more information.
  • Forest Landbird Legacy Program
    NC Wildlife Comission, US Fish and Wildlife Service
    In cooperation with the US Wildlife Service and the NC Wildlife Commission, money and assistance are provided to private landowners who wish to manage their land for the benefit of forest-dwelling landbirds such as turkey and quail.
    http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/es/partners/factsheetlbl.pdf
    Laura Fogo - USFWS (910) 695-3323
    Matt Flint - NRCS (919) 873-2124
  • Forest Stewardship Program
    NC Division of Forest Resources
    Provides technical assistance in writing a forest stewardship plan. The forest stewardship plan is based on the landowner's objectives, and activities are scheduled to enhance the forest for wildlife, soil and water quality, timber production, recreational opportunities, and natural beauty.
    http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/tending/tending_stewoverview.htm
    Les Hunter (919) 857-4801
  • Forest Development Program
    NC Division of Forest Resources
    Reforestation cost-sharing program administered by the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources. Under FDP, a landowner is partially reimbursed for the costs of site preparation, seedling purchases, tree planting, release of desirable seedlings from competing vegetation, or any other work needed to establish a new forest. Requires a forest management plan.
    http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/starting/starting_incentives.htm
    Rockingham District Office: (910) 997-9220
    Fayetteville District Office: (910) 437-2620
  • Voluntary Agricultural Districts
    County Governments, NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
    With assistance from the state, local governments can pass ordinances creating voluntary agricultural districts. These ordinances authorize county governments to create incentive programs to promote agriculture within the district.
    http://www.ncadfp.org
    Maximilian Merrill : (919) 733-7125
  • Present-use Value Taxation Program
    NC Department of Revenue
    State law provides property tax reductions for working farms and forests. Contact your local tax office for more information.

Private Organizations

  • Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
    Helps support and expand local and organic agriculture in the Carolinas.
    http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/
    Roland McReynolds (919) 542-2402
  • Lumber River Conservancy
    The mission of the Lumber River Conservancy is to preserve and protect the Lumber River as a natural and scenic river by preserving natural, scenic, wild and recreational areas and waters of and along the Lumber River and its tributaries.
    P.O. Box 1235, Pembroke, NC 28372
    (910) 738-5257
  • The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina
    The Nature Conservancy works to preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. In order to achieve this goal, they work with area landowners to purchase land or conservation easements that will protect critical wildlife habitat.
    http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/northcarolina/
    Ryan Elting: (910) 246-0300
  • The North Carolina Farm Transition Network
    Provide resources to farm families and owners of rural land across North Carolina who wish to keep their farms employed in agriculture as they pass from one generation to the next.
    http://www.ncftn.org/
    (919) 732-7539
  • North Carolina Cooperative Extension
    Easy access to the resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University.
    http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/
    Moore County: (910) 947-3188
    Richmond County: (910) 997-8255
  • NC Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters
    A group of certified foresters available for private consultation with landowners.
    http://www.acfnc.org/
    (919) 303-9957

©SALT | P.O. Box 1032 | Southern Pines, NC 28388
This site last updated June 12, 2011