Recommended Landowner Resources

Land Management Funding Opportunities

• EQIP – The USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides voluntary financial and technical assistance for land management.
• CRP – The USDA FSA Conservation Reserve Program provides funds to temporarily remove sensitive land from agricultural production to improve environmental health.
• CSP – The USDA Conservation Stewardship Program offers annual payments for enhancing existing efforts to improve the condition of your working lands.
• Seed A Legacy Program – The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund’s Seed A Legacy Program offers free seed mix for projects 2-25 acres for eligible landowners.
• Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund – This National Fish and Wildlife Foundation program provides technical assistance and funds for at-risk pollinator habitat.
• USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife – This US Fish and Wildlife Service partnership program provides technical and financial assistance to improve wildlife habitat.

Government Offices

• Contact your local county Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
  • Helps to address natural resource concerns such as drainage, erosion, soils, water quality, invasive species, etc. on agricultural land and natural areas
  • Local educational opportunities
  • Sales of native plants, trees, fish, and other conservation resources
• Contact your local USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS Office)
  • Provides technical assistance to help you meet your conservation and agricultural objectives
  • Connect with NRCS funding options for land management
  • Compliance information for federal programs
• Contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA Service Center)
  • Loans, disaster assistance, and other funding programs for farmers
  • Provides educational programs and policy analysis

Agricultural Resources

• Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) – Reach out to your county auditor for county-specific information
• National Farmers Union – Advocacy, education, scholarships, grants, and cooperative opportunities for farmers
• Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) – Advocacy, education, organic certification, and cooperative opportunities for organic farmers
• Ohio Farm Bureau – Advocacy, education, scholarships, grants, and cooperative opportunities for farmers

Forest Management Resources

• Call Before You Cut
• Find an ODNR Service Forester for education and technical assistance
• Find a consulting forester to write a forestry plan and help make sure you timber sustainably
  • Ohio Society of American Foresters
  • Association of Consulting Foresters
• Logging Best Management Practices
• ODNR Forestry Pollution Abatement
• ODNR has a portable 30’ or 40’ logging bridge rental program for loggers. These bridges are managed by SWCDs throughout the state. Contact the SWCD near you for more information.
  • Guernsey County SWCD 40’
  • Holmes County SWCD 40’
  • Jefferson County SWCD 40’
  • Monroe County SWCD 30’
  • Scioto County SWCD 40’
  • Trumbull County SWCD 30’
  • Vinton County SWCD 30’ and 40’
• Property tax programs
  • Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) – Reach out to your county auditor for county-specific information
  • Ohio Forest Tax Law (OFTL)

Looking for Native Plants?

• Native Plant Nursery Locator 

Pollinator Resources

• The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund – A nonprofit organization working with landowners to restore pollinator health and diversity
• Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund – Supports work advancing monarch butterfly and other at-risk native pollinator conservation
• Monarch Watch – Information about a monarch tagging program and other monarch butterfly related resources
• Pollinator Partnership Programs – A nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems

Wildlife Habitat Information Provided by OSU Extension

• Backyard Enhancement for Wildlife
• Enhancing Wildlife Habitat on Farmlands
• Incorporating Wildlife Needs into Forest Management Plans
• Managing Wildlife Habitat on Open Space

Groups to Network With and Learn From

• Find your local Audubon chapter – Connect with other local birders.
• Ohio Invasive Plant Council – A coalition concerned with invasive plants that provides education and information exchange.
• Women Owning Woodlands – A group that addresses barriers through educational opportunities and building a community for information exchange.
• Ohio State University Extension’s Women in Agriculture – Provides educational opportunities about financial, human, legal, marketing, and production aspects of agriculture.
• Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership (LEAP) – A group of organizations, universities, agencies, park districts, and others that work to promote and protect the region’s biodiversity.