Hyde Soil and Water Conservation District has received their allocation for the 2018 North Carolina Agriculture Cost-Share Program for agricultural businesses to receive financial aid to stem storm water runoff.
Storm water runoff is the biggest polluter of coastal waters, and installing “best management practices” reduce this pollutant from entering sounds and the ocean.
The Hyde district received $38,129.00 in cost share funds and $7,500.00 through the Hyde Soil and Water Conservation District (AgWRAP).
These funds can help reduce the amount of nutrients entering surface and groundwater through best management practices (BMPs) such as nutrient management, water control structures, land-smoothing and three-year continuous no-till crop rotation.
The limit for nutrient management acreage is 250 acres and applicants must agree to carry out the practice for three years on the same land.
The incentive payment for this practice is $6 per acre. The acreage limit on conservation tillage is 100 acres and the incentive payment for this practice is $60 per acre. The district is offering land smoothing at $150 an acre with a 40-acre cap.
These applications are available through Jan. 31, or until all funds have been expended.
In addition, the district offers funding opportunities through their Community Conservation Assistance Program to individuals and businesses not directly involved with agriculture production to incorporate storm water BMPs within their landscape to aid in the improvement of water quality, such as pet waste receptacles, cisterns, rain gardens, permeable pavement and similar practices. The economic incentive is up to 75 percent of the average cost of installation.
Debbie Cahoon, district administrator, said that in this program, Hyde is part of the coastal region, which has a pot of money to allocate to homeowners interested in reducing storm water runoff.
Anyone interested in these programs may contact Rodney Chappell, the Hyde District resource specialist the Hyde district office in the Hyde Government Center, Swan Quarter.
Phone numbers are 252-926-4195 or 252-926-5291. For their website, click here.
The district is a state governmental subdivision that implements both state and federal programs to assist in installing best management practices with the goal of protecting our natural resources.
