Christian County Soil and Water Conservation District

Landowner Assistance

There are many programs available to help responsible landowners improve the health of their land in terms of reducing erosion, improving wildlife habitat, and protecting our water supplies. Please contact us to find out if you qualify for assistance through one of these programs.

SWCD State Cost Share

Every year thousands of dollars are ear-marked for qualified Christian County landowners as an incentive to implement good land management practices on their property. The Christian County SWCD reimburses approximately 75% of the expense to complete these practices in most cases. This 75% is figured at the county average rate or the cost to the landowner, whichever is less. Limits apply in some instances.

State Cost-Share is a great opportunity to improve your pastures by establishing or improving forage stands, implementing grazing systems, and controlling erosion. It is also a great way to fine tune your current pasture management strategies to maximize production and minimize cost.

Among other factors, the slope, soil test, and health of the pasture are considered when determining if a landowner qualifies for State Cost-Share. Soil testing is required before evaluating the property. For more information on soil testing, programs, or to schedule an evaluation of your property please call 417-581-2719 ext. 3 or 1-800-581-6444 ext. 3.

The Christian County SWCD cost-shares on these practices:

NRCS Cattle Photo
Photo courtesy of NRCS

Permanent Vegetative Cover Establishment: (DSL-1) Assistance is authorized for the minimum amounts of lime and fertilizer (by soil test results), eligible seed, seeding operations, and seedbed preparation needed to establish an adequate stand to prevent erosion.

Permanent Vegetative Cover Improvement: (DSL-2) Assistance is authorized for the minimum amounts of lime and fertilizer (by soil test results), seed, chemicals, etc. necessary to establish legumes in existing permanent vegetation to establish an adequate stand to prevent erosion.

Permanent Vegetative Cover-Critical Areas: (DSL-11) Assistance is authorized for measures such as grading, shaping and filling needed to stabilize sediment for critical areas such as gullies, banks, roadsides, field borders and similar problem areas on farms. Cost-share is also authorized for establishing grass (including lime and fertilizer), trees or shrubs, or fencing to exclude livestock.

Permanent Vegetative Cover Enhancement (No-Till): (DSP-2) Assistance is authorized for minimum amounts of legume seed, lime, and fertilizer (by soil test results) needed. Applicable only to pastureland where vegetative cover is in poor or very poor condition with less than 30% legumes. Cost share is limited to 80 acres per landowner.

Planned Grazing System: (DSP-3) Must first attend a University of MO Grazing School. Assistance is authorized for interior fencing costs, fence charger, well pump and pressure tank, and pipeline and tank installation for water source. Limited to $60 cost-share received per acre. (DSP-33) Assistance is authorized for pond construction for watering source. (DSP-333) Assistance is authorized for well drilling and casing for watering source. See SWCD personnel for more thorough description.

Resource Protection Through Livestock Exclusion: (DFR-5) Designed to protect soil and plant resources from grazing by livestock. Assistance is authorized for plantings to correct immediate erosion problems, and the necessary seed or seedlings. Also authorized is fencing to exclude livestock from woodland that lies within existing functional fence.

Water Impoundment Reservoirs: (DWC-1) Assistance is authorized for construction of a water impoundment structure to control excessive gully erosion.

Sediment Retention, Erosion or Water Control Structure: (DWP-1) Assistance is authorized for construction of sediment detention or retention structures to control excessive gully erosion.

Other Available Programs

The District is partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency(FSA), and Missouri Department of Conservation(MDC).

Federal programs are offered to cooperators through NRCS such as the Conservation Security Program(CSP) that provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life. The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program(EQIP) addresses locally identified problems with natural resources. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program(CREP) is a joint Federal-State land retirement conservation program targeted to address local, State and nationally significant agricultural-related environmental concerns. For more information, go to the links provided on each program or contact your local USDA Service Center.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."