by Daniel Duric, for The Newport Dispatch

NEWPORT — The Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District has secured $600,000 in federal grant funding to address soil and water conservation issues throughout the county.

The funding, called the Local Fund Pool, targets farmers with wet, low-producing hay fields or pastures, and property owners in the Upper Barton River Watershed dealing with soil erosion or invasive species problems.

The Orleans County Conservation District conducts locally led conservation planning annually, engaging community stakeholders to identify natural resource concerns including soil erosion, water quality and invasive species. The district then works with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to direct federal resource allocation.

This year, over 40 community members and 11 partner organizations participated in Local Working Groups to identify the top three funding priorities. Each priority will receive $200,000 through separate Local Fund Pools.

The first priority, called “Slow the Flow,” addresses water quality degradation from increased flooding and resulting erosion and sedimentation. This fund will support projects that stabilize headwater areas in Upper Barton River watersheds, including strategic placement of woody material, stream habitat improvement, beaver dam analogues, post-assisted log structures, streambank protection and channel bed stabilization.

The second fund, “Slow the Spread,” targets invasive plant species by addressing smaller infestations of phragmites, bush honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, common barberry and glossy buckthorn.

The third fund supports small farms while enhancing natural resources, helping farmers struggling with increasingly wet growing conditions. Potential projects include improving forage productivity with lime and wood ash amendments, pasture and hay land seeding, soil health testing, and wetland enhancements with tree and shrub plantings in areas too wet to crop.

The district is now accepting applications from Orleans County landowners, with a deadline of August 22, 2025. New applicants must also register with the Farm Service Agency. Funding will be available for fiscal year 2026 through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program, with projects selected through a ranking process based on program priorities.

Interested landowners can contact the Newport USDA office at 59 Waterfront Plaza to fill out a Conservation Technical Assistance Request, or reach Sarah Damsell, district manager, at sarah.damsell@orleanscountynrcd.org or 802-624-7008.