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North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share
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The major cause of water quality problems in North Carolina and in the United States is “non point source” pollution. In many places across our state, damage to our water resources comes from soil erosion, excessive fertilizer use, animal waste contamination, and improper use of agricultural chemicals.
The North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program was established in 1984 to help reduce the sources of agricultural non point pollution to North Carolina’s waters. The Cost Share program helps owners and renters of established agricultural operations improve their on-farm management by using Best Management Practices, also called BMPS. These BMPs include vegetative, structural, or management systems that can improve the efficiency of farming operations. The results can make farmers more productive while reducing the potential for polluting surface and ground water.
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The District, in conjunction with Natural Resources
Conservation Service, provides free technical assistance to farmers who are willing to implement BMPs to help improve ground and surface water quality.
The North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission designates the BMPs eligible for Cost Share funds and allocates money each year to the Soil and Water Conservation District for Cost Share contracts.
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Several BMPs have been approved for the Moore County program:
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- agri-chemical handling facility
- animal waste management systems
- poultry dry stacks(poultry spreaders, composters and stream protection systems)
- spring development and watering system
- cropland conversion to grass
- cropland conversion to trees
- critical area treatment
- vegetable no-till
- long term no-till
- lagoon closures
- heavy use area protection.
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How will these BMP's affect impaired stream segments?
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- Reduce excess pesticides, nitrogen, phosphorous, as well as sediment delivery to streams
- Prevent animal access from stream; reducing streambank erosion and animal waste delivery
- Streambank restoration, thus reducing sediment delivery to the stream.
- No-till and cropland conversion practices filter sediment, nutrients, pesticides, phosphates and prevents run-off of these pollutants.
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This District's Cost Share Application prioritization process:
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The Conservation District Board of Supervisors reviews all applications and designates priority. The priority list approved by the Board is used to prepare conservation contracts according to available funding. This form is used by the District Board to prioritize applications for the highest benefits for water quality protection in Moore County.
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Click here to sign up for Cost Share Assistance.
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