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AVAILABLE NOW
The following programs offer cost-share funds for qualifying landowners and/or leasees:
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
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Payments for agricultural land set aside as a stream buffer
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Rebates for Okanogan PUD customers for upgrades that make irrigation systems more efficient
Irrigation Efficiencies Grant Program (IEGP)
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Up to 85% funding for water-right holders to increase on-farm water use efficiency where saved water can be returned to streams that are home to ESA-listed fish species.
COMING SOON
Orchard chipping & pollinator plantings
Livestock watering and fencing
Riparian improvements
Don't see funding options for your project idea? Fill out an assistance request sheet and a conservation planner will follow up with you.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
CREP encourages landowners to voluntarily establish riparian buffers on agricultural lands adjacent to salmon streams with annual rental payments to the land manager for 10-15 years. Through CREP, land managers plant native trees and shrubs to improve riparian conditions along salmon streams, and can choose to install livestock watering facilities and fence to protect the plants. All of the costs for these improvements are paid by the program. In addition, the program provides oversight and reimburses maintenance costs for about five years after planting. Land managers are paid rent for allowing their land to be used for fish and wildlife improvements and receive a monetary bonus for signing up.
CREP Basics
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Land is enrolled in a 10- or 15-year contract.
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CREP is funded jointly by USDA and Washington State Conservation Commission. The Farm Service Agency manages the contract, and Okanogan CD planners help with project planning and implementation.
Eligibility Requirements
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Land must be adjacent to a salmon-bearing stream.
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Land must not be currently functioning as a forested riparian buffer as determined by the Okanogan CD planner.
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Land must be able to support native trees and shrubs.
Enrollment Incentives
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Annual rental payments ranging from $44-$172 per acre per year, depending upon the soil type(s) on the site.
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Reimbursement of 100% of eligible implementation costs. For livestock operators, this includes fence and off-stream watering facilities.
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Reimbursement of 100% of eligible maintenance costs for up to five years.
Buffer Widths
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Minimum buffer width must average 50’.
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The maximum buffer width is 180’ on all sites.
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Landowners can enroll all or part of an eligible section of stream, and one or both sides of a stream.
Interested? Contact Craig Nelson
Save Water Save Energy
This program is available to agricultural producers who are Okanogan PUD customers. Rebates are available for the following projects:
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Freeze Resistant Stock Water Tanks/Fountains
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Irrigation Pump Testing and System Analysis (BPA Qualified)
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VFD installations on new or existing pumps
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Irrigation System Upgrades
2022 Program Information:
Irrigation Efficiencies Grant Program (IEGP)
Washington’s Irrigation Efficiencies Grant Program (IEGP) restores instream flows in rivers and streams determined to not have enough water for fish populations and other competing needs. The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) works with conservation districts to provide financial incentives – up to 85 percent of total project costs – to landowners willing to install irrigation systems that save water. The water saved helps increase the stream flow in tributaries where ESA (Endangered Species Act)-listed species will benefit. And, in most cases, the more efficient irrigation systems lead to increased crop production due to reduced water stress.