The North Carolina Agriculture Cost-Share
Program was established in 1984 to help reduce the sources of
agricultural nonpoint pollution to North Carolina 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.
The
district is currently accepting applications under the North Carolina
Agricultural Cost-Share Program with funding available beginning July 1
of each year.
Best Management Practices include:
- Heavy Use Area Protection
- Livestock Exclusion System
- Stock Trail and Walkway
- Stream Crossing
- Trough or Tank
- Well
- Controlled Livestock Lounging Area
- Critical Area Planting
- Cropland Conversion
- Diversion
- Sod-Based Rotation
- Stripcropping
- Filter Strip
- Grassed Waterway
- Rock-lined Outlet
Heavy Use Area Protection
means an area used frequently and intensively by animals which must be
stabilized by surfacing with suitable materials to improve water
quality. Benefits may include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation and
pollution from dissolved, particulate, and sediment-attached substances
A Livestock Exclusion System
means a system of permanent fencing (board, barbed, high tensile or
electric wire) installed to exclude livestock from streams and critical
areas not intended for grazing to improve water quality. Benefits may
include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation, pathogen contamination and
pollution from dissolved, particulate, and sediment-attached substances.
A Stock Trail and Walkway
means to provide a stable area used frequently and intensively for
livestock movement by surfacing with suitable material to improve water
quality. Benefits may include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation and
pollution from dissolved, particulate, and sediment-attached substances.
A Stream Crossing
means a trail constructed across a stream to allow livestock to cross
without disturbing the bottom or causing soil erosion on the banks.
A Trough or Tank means devices installed to provide drinking water for livestock at a stabilized location.
A Well means constructing a drilled, driven or dug well to supply water from an underground source.
A Controlled Livestock Lounging Area means a planned, stabilized and vegetated area in which livestock are kept for a short duration.
A Critical Area Planting
means an area of highly erodible land that cannot be stabilized by
ordinary conservation treatment on which permanent perennial vegetative
cover is established and protected to improve water quality. Benefits
may include reduced soil erosion and sedimentation.
A Cropland Conversion Practice
means to establish and maintain a conservation cover of grass, trees,
or wildlife plantings on fields previously used for crop production to
improve water quality. Benefits may include reduced soil erosion,
sedimentation and pollution from dissolved and sediment-attached
substances.
A Diversion
means a channel constructed across a slope with a supporting ridge on
the lower side to control drainage by diverting excess water from an
area to improve water quality. Benefits may include reduced soil
erosion, sedimentation and pollution from dissolved and
sediment-attached substances.
A Sod-Based Rotation Practice means
an adapted sequence of crops, grasses and legumes, or a mixture
thereof, established and maintained for a definite number of years as
part of a conservation cropping system. Sod-based rotation is designed
to provide adequate organic residue for maintenance or improvement of
soil tilth to improve water quality. Benefits may include reduced soil
erosion, sedimentation and pollution from dissolved and
sediment-attached substances.
A Stripcropping practice
means to grow crops and sod in a systematic arrangement of alternating
strips or bands across the slope to improve water quality. Benefits may
include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution from dissolved
and sediment-attached substances. The crops are arranged so that a
strip of grass or dose-growing crop is alternated with a strip of
dean-tilled crop, fallow, or no-till crop, or a strip of grass is
alternated with a dose-growing crop.
A Field Border
means a strip of perennial vegetation established at the edge of the
field that provides a stabilized outlet for row water to improve water
quality. Benefits may include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation and
pollution from dissolved and sediment-attached substances.
A Fitter Strip
means an area of permanent perennial vegetation for removing sediment,
organic matter, and other pollutants from runoff and waste water to
improve water quality. Benefits may include reduced soil erosion,
sedimentation and pathogen contamination and pollution from dissolved,
particulate, and sediment-attached substances.
A Grassed Waterway
means a natural or constructed channel that is shaped or graded to
required dimensions and established in suitable vegetation for the
stable conveyance of runoff to improve water quality. Benefits may
include reduced soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution from dissolved
and sediment-attached substances.
A Rock-lined Outlet
means a waterway having an erosion-resistant lining of concrete, stone
or other permanent material where an unlined or grassed waterway would
be inadequate to improve water quality. Benefits may include safe
disposal of runoff, reduced erosion and sedimentation