Sullivan County Soil and Water Conservation District
Assistance Available
Cost-Share Practices Available
DFR-5 Woodland Protection Through Livestock Exclusion – This practice is used to protect existing woodland areas from grazing by domestic livestock. Stream floodplains and upland soils with 10 percent slopes or greater are exempt from this practice. Cost-share includes 75 percent of the estimated cost for plantings to correct any immediate erosion problems and the necessary seed or seedlings and field fencing to exclude livestock (woodland must lie within an existing functional property line fence). Grazing exclusion must be maintained for ten years following the establishment of this practice. Sod-busted fields are not eligible.
DSL-1 Permanent Vegetative Cover Establishment – This practice is used to protect the soil and reduce pollution of water, air or land by controlling erosion. Cost-sharing includes 75 percent of the estimated costs of necessary minerals according to soil test, eligible seed, no-till or regular till and seedbed preparation (including grass and weed herbicides in a no-till system of grass establishment). The acreage seeded must be protected from grazing by livestock until the stand is well established. Vegetative cover must be maintained for five years following the calendar year in which the practice is performed.
DSL-11 Permanent Vegetative Cover on Critical Areas – The critical area treatment practice is used to reduce erosion and prevent land, water or air pollution from sediment. Cost-sharing is authorized for measures needed to stabilize a source of sediment (such as gullies, banks, roadsides, field borders and similar problems areas). These measures include grading, shaping, and filling, establishment (including minerals) of grasses including filter strips, mulching, trees or shrubs and fencing to exclude livestock. The area must be protected from overgrazing and must be maintained for five years following the calendar year of installation.
DSL-4 Terrace Systems without Tile – The purpose of this practice is to control erosion on cropland and prevent or reduce pollution of water, land or air from agricultural nonpoint sources. Cost-share for this is not to exceed 75 percent of the county average cost or the actual cost, whichever is less, of the components technically required to install the practice.
This structure must also be maintained for at least ten years following the calendar year of installation. CRP fields are not eligible.
DSL-44 Terrace Systems with Tile – This practice is a DSL-4 with tiles. All the same rules and regulations apply.
DSL-5 Diversions – The purpose of this practice is to control erosion, and prevent or reduce pollution of land, water or air from agricultural nonpoint sources. It is applicable on farmland subject to erosion from excess surface water runoff where the problem can be corrected by such diversion facilities. Maximum state cost-share not to exceed 75 percent of county average cost or actual cost, whichever is less, of the components technically required to install the practice. The landowner must maintain the practice in accordance with NRCS Standards and Specifications for at least ten years following the calendar year of installation. CRP fields are not eligible.
DSP-2 Permanent Vegetative Cover Enhancement – The purpose of this practice is to improve the productive cover of existing pastureland with the demonstration of no-till interseeding of legumes by the use of no-till drills and to protect the soil and prevent air, land or water pollution. This practice is applicable only to pastureland where the permanent vegetative cover is in poor or very poor condition with less than 30 percent legumes or fescue pastureland in better than poor condition with less than 30 percent introduced legumes and where fescue endophyte fungus infestation levels are between 30-70 percent. Cost-share is 75 percent of estimated costs of the minimum and necessary legume seed and minerals needs to perform the practice (according to soil test) and the costs of using a no-till drill. A maximum of 80 acres per farm and/or landowner is allowed. Sod-busted fields are not eligible. The life span of this practice is five years.
DSL-2 Permanent Vegetative Cover Improvement – Requires a grazing plan. Applicable for farm or ranch land in permanent vegetative cover that needs improvement in order to provide adequate soil protection. Cost-share assistance is authorized for seeding of legumes into permanent vegetation and for lime, fertilizer, and chemicals necessary to establish the legumes. Cost-share assistance is limited to the minimum amount of lime, fertilizer, and seed(s) needed to establish adequate cover to control erosion. The life span of this practice is five years.
DSP-3 Planned Grazing Systems Practice and DSP-33 Planned Grazing Systems with a Pond – The purpose of these practices is to effect economically and environmentally sound agricultural land management on pastureland by demonstrating the best use of the soil and water resources through the use of rotational grazing. Environmental benefits include erosion control and/or prevention and water quality protection. It is applicable to pastureland where non-woody, permanent vegetative cover is established and can be enhanced through the use of planned grazing systems. As a minimum, the landowner must be willing to follow an approved grazing system, as developed to conjunction with NRCS, based on the needs of the landowner. The minimum life span of the resource management system must be five years. For those systems in which a pond is constructed with state cost-share, the minimum life span must be ten years.
DWC-1 Water Impoundment Reservoir – A structure to control erosion and prevent or reduce erosion that also provides a permanent water supply. Cost-share is 75 percent of the estimated costs of earthwork, steel inlet pipe and collars, welding, tank, livestock water pipe and fitting, seeding establishment of spillway, dam and borrow areas, and fencing. Cost-share may not exceed $8,250 per practice (not including federal funds). The structure must be maintained for a minimum of ten years following the calendar year of installation. CRP fields are not eligible.
DWP-1 Sediment Retention, Erosion or Water Control Structure – A structure to prevent or reduce erosion and prevent or reduce pollution without providing a permanent water supply. Cost-share is the same as the DWC-1 excluding the tank and livestock water pipe and fittings. This structure must also be maintained for at least ten years following the calendar year of installation. CRP fields are not eligible.
DWP-3 Sod Waterways – This practice is used on farmland needing permanent sod waterway to safely move excess surface runoff water in a manner that will reduce erosion. Cost-share is authorized for site preparation, grading, shaping and filling, and establishing permanent vegetative cover. Cost-share is also authorized for subsurface drains that are necessary for proper functioning of the waterway. The practice must be maintained for a minimum of ten years following the calendar year of installation. CRP fields and sod-busted fields are not eligible.
