Overview
New for 2021, seven Soil Conservation Districts
(SCDs) in the Red River Basin are coordinating with
the ND Game and Fish Department and ND Department
of Environmental Quality to initiate the Red
River Basin Wildlife and Water Quality Enhancement
Pilot Program (Program). Specific counties where the
Program will be available include; Cass, Grand Forks,
Griggs, Ransom, Richland, Sargent and Walsh. The
Program will be active from 2021 – 2025.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the Program are to
increase wildlife habitat and improve water quality
in the Red River Valley. Marginally productive croplands
(e.g., saline areas, flood prone sites, etc.) in the
uplands and along riparian corridors are the primary
focus of the Program.
Practices
Participating SCDs and their staff will deliver
the Program locally to assist producers in evaluating
management options on marginally productive
croplands and providing cost share assistance for the
implementation of eligible conservation practices.
Eligible practices include:
• Conservation Cover
• Critical Area Planting
• Filter Strip
• Grassed Waterway
• Pollinator Habitat
• Range Planting
• Forage and Biomass Planting
• Riparian Forest Buffer
• Riparian Herbaceous Buffer
Payments
Sixty percent (60%) of eligible practice costs will
be supported with Outdoor Heritage funds and the
balance of costs (i.e., 40%) will be the responsibility
of the producer.
In addition to the practice cost share, producers
are also eligible to receive payments for the management
and maintenance of select practices, including
Conservation Cover, Pollinator Habitat, Riparian
Forest Buffer and Riparian Herbaceous Cover. These
payments will be issued through management agreements
established between the participating producer
and SCD.
Management agreements can be up to 5 years in
length and the payments will be based on local county
rental rates. Payments to the producers can be provided
as an annual or lump-sum payment and cannot
exceed sixty percent (60%) of the county rental rate.
For more information on the Program contact your
local Soil Conservation District.