| Financial Incentives for Private Forestland Owners |
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| Conservation Incentives |
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Conservation Stewardship Program
Goals & Specifications:
To help landowners and operators maintain existing stewardship and adopt additional conservation on privately owned, non-industrial working forests and agricultural lands.
- Signup for this new program of the 2008 Farm Bill is open in every county nationwide on a continuous basis.
- Participants enter into a 5-year contract to receive an annual payment based on land use.
- Those enrolled will develop and follow a plan to addresses at least one priority resource concern not previously treated.
- Payments are limited to $40,000 per year and $200,000 per contract.
Information and applications are available at the local Natural Resource Conservation Service office.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Goal - Improve the nation´s natural resources by placing highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive pasture or cropland into conservation practices that reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Qualifications & Specifications:
- Land must be owned for no less than one year and contracts shall be not less than 10 years or more than 15 years in duration.
- Farmers receive an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract. Cost sharing is provided to establish the vegetative cover practices.
- Eligible practices include filter strips, riparian buffers, shelter belts, living snow fences, field windbreaks, grass waterways, salt tolerant vegetation, and shallow water areas for wildlife.
Additional information and applications are available through your local Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service office, or Oregon Department of Forestry office.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Goal: Encourage landowners to protect soil, water, fish, and wildlife by establishing plants along streams.
Qualifications & Specifications:
- CREP is the same as CRP above except that its purpose is to establish riparian vegetation on agricultural land along streams.
- Cost-sharing, land rental payments, and other incentives are available.
Information and applications are available at your local Farm Service Agency office. Information is also available from the local Natural Resource Conservation Service office, or your local Oregon Department of Forestry office.
  
Additional References:
 A Guide To Riparian Tree Planting in Southwest Oregon, M. Bennett and G. Ahrens, EM 8893-E, September 2007. An OSU riparian establishment resource document written for SW Oregon but the core principles are widely applicable.
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