Conservation Commission

Coordinated Natural Resources Conservation Grants


Grants from the Coordinated Natural Resources Conservation Grant Fund are available for projects that show a natural resource conservation benefit to the state. Any organized conservation district within the state may make an application to the State Conservation Commission.

These grants are competitive in nature and limited funding is available.

This application must be on an approved application form, or follow the format of the approved form. Grants are awarded two times during a calendar year — Spring and Fall. DANR Resource Conservation and Forestry Division must receive the applications no later than March 1 for the Spring award cycle or October 1 for the Fall award cycle.

The following projects have received funding under this grant program. This is not a complete list of past or currently funded projects, nor is it intended to stifle the creativity of natural resource managers in identifying alternative measures to protect the states' natural resources.

  • 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.

Most, if not all, of the above grant projects include an information/education element.

For a copy of the application or assistance in completing the form, contact the Resource Conservation & Forestry Division at 605-773-3623.

Application Documents