Summary of conservation-related funding options
If you are willing to implement conservation measures on your operation—or if you are already doing so—there are a number of ways to obtain conservation-related payments.
Most of these programs require you to have an approved conservation plan that describes what, how, where, and when your conservation measures will be in place. This web site can help you start the planning process.
Once you have created a preliminary plan on this web site, a professional planner from the your local Conservation District will work with you to assure that your objectives are met, appropriate conservation practices are planned, and which funding programs will best suit your needs.
Conservation-related funding programs
Click on a title for more details. (Links open in a new window.)
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
An offspring of CRP, CREP is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners, providing incentive payments for establishing long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible land. A CREP project under development for the Eastern Snake River Plain, will help producers voluntarily idle up to 100,000 acres of southern Idaho farm land where ground water is over-appropriated. - Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Annual rental payments and cost sharing incentives encourage farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filterstrips, or riparian buffers. - Conservation Security Program (CSP)
New in Farm Bill 2002. Three levels of payments are available for a broad range of conservation practices. This program is available to conservation minded landusers in select watersheds in each state yearly. - DEQ 319 Water Quality Grants
Financial incentives may be available for implementing specific conservation practices. Check with your local Soil Conservation District to see if these funds are available in your area. - DEQ Water Qualilty Programs
DEQ administers federal and state funds used to provide grants and low-interest loans to eligible entities to conduct specific activities designed to improve the quality of Idaho's water resources. - Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Farmers and ranchers may receive financial and technical help to install or implement structural and management conservation practices on eligible agricultural land. - Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)
Helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture by assisting with the purchase of conservation easements or other interests in land. - Forestry Assistance Bureau
The Idaho Department of Lands provides assistance to landowners to establish healthy, sustainable forests and compliance with the Idaho Forest Practices Act. Landowner and logger consultations ensure continuous growth of forest tree species; protect forest soil, air, water and resources, and maintain wildlife and aquatic habitat. Idaho's Forest Practices identify standards for logging, road building, reforestation, stream side protection and other forest practices. - Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and the Forest Service are coordinating implementation of this voluntary program to help landowners restore and protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrubland and certain other lands, and to provide assistance for rehabilitating grasslands and to helping maintain viable ranching operations. - Idaho Fish and Game
Idaho Department of Fish and Game sponsors several programs in Idaho that provide financial and technical assistance to landowners to maintain, develop, or improve fish and wildlife habitat on their lands. State programs include the Habitat Improvement Program (HIP), Landowner Incentive Program (LIP), and State Wildlife Grants (SWG). Federal and nongovernmental programs are also available. - Idaho Fish and Game Access Yes!
Access Yes! is a program designed to improve sportsmen's access to private land or through private land to public land by compensating willing landowners who provide access. Ultimately, the goal is to provide access to 1,000,000+ acres of private land along with access through private land to thousands more acres of public land. - Idaho Fish and Game Habitat Improvement Program
Habitat holds the key to the future of upland game and waterfowl in Idaho. Creating and improving habitat is the goal of Idaho Fish and Game's Habitat Improvement Program. HIP applies to both public and private lands but Fish and Game recognizes the vital importance of private lands to Idaho's wildlife, especially to most upland game and many waterfowl populations. The program is designed primarily to help private landowners in their desire to improve their property to benefit game birds. - Idaho Fish and Game Landowner Incentive Program
The Landowner Incentive Program's purpose is to encourage landowners to think proactively about conservation on their own land, by improving existing habitat that hosts at-risk species, thereby assisting in species recovery and/or pre-empting the listing of declining species. Idaho's LIP is designed to provide incentives to landowners desiring to implement voluntary conservation actions. - Idaho Fish and Game State Wildlife Grant
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Nongame Wildlife Program will provide State Wildlife Grant (SWG) funds to public and private individuals, groups, or organizations to support cooperative cost-share projects for the conservation of native fish and wildlife species designated as "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" - Idaho Power Building Efficiency Program
This program provides ?nancial incentives for new construction projects, simple retro?ts and those that are more complex. “Whatever our customers’ plans are to increase energy efficiency, Idaho Power has a program to help,” said Curt Nichols, Idaho Power program specialist. - Idaho Water Quality Program for Agriculture
Provides financial incentives to owners and operators of agricultural lands in Idaho for applying conservation practices to protect and enhance water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. - Idaho Water Resource Board Financial Programs
The Idaho Water Resource Board Financial Program assists local governments, water and homeowners associations, non-profit water companies, canal companies and irrigation districts with funding for water system infrastructure projects. The Board has provided financial support to more than 380 water projects and studies around Idaho. - Partners for Fish and Wildlife
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s primary mechanism for delivering voluntary, on-the-ground, fish, wildlife and plant habitat conservation projects on private and Tribal lands. The program can provide cost-share funding for habitat conservation projects as well as technical assistance to landowners. Habitat conservation projects are intended to benefit migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and other sensitive species. - Red Lodge Conservation Funding Clearing House
The Red Lodge Clearing House arose from recommendations made at the Workshop on Collaborative Resource Management in the Interior West held at Red Lodge, Montana on 18-22 October 2001. The mission of the Red Lodge Clearinghouse is to support, nurture and connect collaborative natural resource groups. - Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP)
RCRDP provides long-term, low-interest loans to land owners. Management projects can be implemented on both private and public lands. Current rates are 3-5% with no prepayment penalties or origination fees for up to $125,000 with terms from 1 to 15 years. In most instances, this program may be used in conjunction with Farm Bill program funding or other cost sharing programs. - Wetlands Reserve Program
Financial incentives are available to enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring marginal land from agriculture. - Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)
Encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats by providing technical and financial assistance to landowners and others.
Other Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Programs
More programs are available to help with technical and financial conservation
assistance.