Jerauld Conservation District is accepting applicants for cost-share assistance for projects that show a natural resource conservation benefit to the state. Any producer within the state may make an application to their local district. Jerauld Conservation District (JCD) is in the process of gathering proposals for their 7th Conservation Commission Grant application. Since 2017 the Grant and JCD have helped 20 producers in Jerauld County and adjacent counties.
JCD is encouraging local producers to visit their district representative, Lisa Sall, to see if their projects would be considered for this costshare opportunity. “In the past, 99% of the grant funds have been used for tree planting” said district rep. Lisa Sall. “The Commission Grant can be used for many different projects as long as they are addressing some kind of a resource conservation related issue.”
The following state-wide projects have received funding under this grant program. This is not a complete list of past or currently funded projects:
• Windbreak tree planting establishment and renovations including windbreaks for wildlife habitat, field erosion control, and farmstead and livestock protection.
• Water development to provide for livestock water needs away from the riparian area to promote healthy regeneration of those areas for erosion control benefits.
• Waterway construction and seeding.
• Rangeland/ Pastureland improvement projects including seeding, cross fencing, and rotational grazing, etc.
• Water quality improvement projects including some of the above practices as well as overall assessment of the condition of the watershed and to identify sources of water quality impairments.
• No-till cropping system incentives.
• Biological weed control in areas where conventional control techniques may cause resource damage such as on highly erodible land or in areas inaccessible to conventional equipment.
JCD nor the SD Conservation wants to stifle the creativity of natural resource managers and/or producers in identifying alternative measures to protect the states' natural resources. They encourage new uses of practical farming and better ways of protecting our ecosystem. From erosion control to protecting pollinators, this grant can help producers with multiple solutions to resolving their resource conservation needs.
This grant is competitive in nature and limited funding is available. The source of money in coordinated natural resources conservation fund consists of money transferred from the sale of motor fuel for nonhighway agricultural uses in the motor fuel tax fund as provided in §10-47B149, and all public and private sources including legislative appropriations or federal grants.
JCD will apply for funds in this year’s fall grant round by October 1st. Once a grant has been approved JCD will notify participants of acceptance. JCD administers all the paper filing and manages the funds. Participants are paid after their project has been finished. NRCS and JCD assist with planning, cost estimates, preparing sites, tree planting, fabric installation, etc. “For producers wanting costshare, we try to make the process as easy as possible”, says JCD employee, Lisa Sall. For more information, please contact the Jerauld Conservation District office at 605-539-9232.