Land Owner Assistance Guide
Friends of the Winooski River partnered with the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District as part of the Winooski Headwaters Project to create an online guide of all the resources available to land owners living along the Winooski River. This includes agricultural producers, residential, businesses and even cities and towns. This guide is the first time all the resources available to land owners have been pulled together in a single location.
A new hard copy version of the Land Owners Assistance Guide is available for download here. Please note that it not standard paper size.
Steps to Using the Guide
- Decide what type of land owner you are Agricultural or Residential/Business/Muncipal
- Select your land type.
- Browse the available resources for your land type and either visit the website or download the accompanying factsheet for a particular resource.
Accepted Agricultural Practice Assistance
Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District
Program offers farmers free technical assistance to help meet base-level farm management (AAP) regulations. Addresses manure and nutrient management, runoff potential, floodway determinations, streambank stabilization, vegetative buffer strips, and soil erosion potential. Program staff work with farmers to develop farm-specific strategies, and provide referrals to cost-share programs if appropriate. Download AAP Information Sheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Agricultural Management Assistance
Natural Resources Conservation Services
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides cost share assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. Producers may construct or improve water management structures or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, or transition to organic farming. Download the Agricultural Management Assistance factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Backyard Conservation
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Conservation practices from agriculture adapted for the backyard setting to help improve the environment and help wildlife. Topics include: Backyard Ponds and Wetlands; Composting; Mulching; Nutrient and Pest Management; Terracing; Tree Planting; Water Conservation; Wildlife Habitat. Download the Backyard Conservation publication.
Agriculture / Residential: Residential
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Best Management Practices
VT Agency of Agriculture
This program provides state financial assistance to Vermont farmers in support of their voluntary construction of on-farm improvements designed to abate non-point source agricultural waste discharges into the waters of the state of Vermont, consistent with goals of the federal Water Pollution Control Act and with state water quality standards. Download the Best Management Practices factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Better Backroads
North Vermont Resource Conservation & Development Council
Provides financial and technical assistance to effectively maintain backroads to reduce erosion and prevent road gravel and sediment washing downhill and impacting waterways. 75% cost-share grants for projects, $7000 maximum, technical assistance is free. Grants are available for road erosion inventory and planning (Category A) or construction of erosion control projects (Category B). Driveway maintenance guide for homeowners on website. Download the Better Backyards Sheet for more info
Agriculture / Residential: Residential
Assistance Type: Technical; Financial
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Vermont Agency of Agriculture
CREP aims to improve water quality in streams and lakes by helping Agriculturalowners voluntarily establish vegetative buffers which filter runoff by trapping sediment, fertilizers, and pesticides. Landowners are compensated for the loss of productive Agricultural through upfront incentive payments and annual rental payments based on the total acreage dedicated to forested buffers or vegetated filter strips. Buffers must be maintained for the contract length (15 or 30 years). Download the CREP factsheet here.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Conservation Security Program
Natural Resource Conservation Service
CSP is a voluntary conservation program that has a unique role among USDA programs; it provides contract payments to reward producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management and help producers maintain those practices. Download the Conservation Security Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Conservation Security Program
Natural Resource Conservation Service
CSP is a voluntary conservation program that has a unique role among USDA programs; it provides contract payments to reward producers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management and help producers maintain those practices. Download the Conservation Security Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Conservation Technical Assistance
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Helps plan and implement natural resource solutions to reduce erosion, improve soil health, improve water quantity and quality, improve and conserve wetlands, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, improve air quality, improve pasture and range health, reduce upstream flooding, improve woodlands, and address other natural resource issues. Provides guidance to cost-share programs. Download the Conservation Technical Assistance factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Environmental Quality Incentive Program
Natural Resource Conservation Service
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program for farmers and non-industrial private forestland owners that promotes agricultural production, forestry, and environmental quality as compatible goals. EQIP offers financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural or forest land. Forest practices that may be covered include Forest Stewardship/Management Plan development, forest trail and landing improvements, pest management?invasive plant control, and various wildlife habitat improvement practices.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Farm *A* Syst
Winooski Natural Resources Conserveration District
Farm*A*Syst is a cost effective drinking water protection program for farms that aims to promote safe drinking water. It offers free and confidential drinking water testing on farms and includes voluntary assessments to determine how current operations may pose risks to on-farm and neighboring drinking water/ wells. Free water testing of farm wells covers nitrates, pesticides, and bacteria. If problems are found assistance is provided to determine causes of contamination and workable solutions. Any suggested actions are linked with technical resources for design and implementation and financial resources for cost-share opportunities. Download the Farm "A" Syst factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Educational; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Farm Agronomic Practices Program
VT Agency of Agriculture
Program provides financial assistance for the implementation of soil-based practices that improve soil quality, increase crop production, and reduce erosion. Eligible practices include cover cropping, strip cropping, conservation crop rotation, and cross-slope tillage. These practices are often needed when implementing a nutrient management plan (NMP) and payments for each range from $10-$50 per acre. $3 per acre is also available for NMP updates where a farm is no longer eligible for the NMPIG program. Download the Farm Agricultural Practices Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture by providing matching funds to purchase development rights (easement acquisition). Provides up to 50% of the fair market easement value. Private farmland must: be part of a pending offer from a State, tribe, or local farmland protection program; have a conservation plan for highly erodible land; be large enough to sustain agricultural production; be accessible to relevant markets; and have surrounding parcels of land that can support long-term agricultural production. For more information visit Natural Resource Conservation Service website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Easements
Forest Bird Initiative
Audobon Vermont
Promote the conservation of breeding habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds that breed in forest habitats by conducting individual landowner habitat assessments in selected areas of Vermont, community outreach and educational programs. Provides a property specific report and maps to landowner and management recommendations. In most cases the program is free. For more information visit Audubon Vermont's website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Technical
Forest Land Enhancement Program
USDA Forest Service
FLEP assists landowners in sustainable forest management, including cost-shares for developing Forest Stewardship (management) Plans (required for the Forest Stewardship Program), reforestation, forest stand improvement, watershed protection, wildlife habitat improvement activities. FLEP provides incentives to landowners who have Vermont Forest Stewardship Plans to help them manage their forests for a combination of personal and public values. Download the FLEP Factsheet for additional information.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical; Educational
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Forest Stewardship Program
Vermont Division of Forestry
Voluntary, long-range conservation planning assistance tailored to landowner goals and the capacity of the land. County forester provides free site visit and help developing a Stewardship Plan. Plan costs can be cost-shared thru EQIP and Use Value Appraisal (Current Use) Programs. For more information on the program contact your local county forester here.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Technical
Friends of the Winooski River
Friends of the Winooski River
The organization is a volunteer group dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Winooski River and its tributaries. They provide technical assistance, volunteer labor and guidance to locating resources for design and implementation of the Winooski River and tributaries. May provide financial assistance. Download the Friends of the Winooski River factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Wetlands; Riparian and Shoreline; In Stream or River Channel
Assistance Type: Labor; Technical; Educational; Financial
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Helps landowners restore, enhance, and protect grassland, including pastureland, shrubland, and certain other lands, from conversion to cropland and other uses; provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands. The program emphasizes support for working grazing operations; enhancement of plant and animal biodiversity; and protection of grassland and land containing shrubs/forbs under threat of conversion. Cost share, easement, and rental payments available. Visit the Grassland Reserve Program webpage for more information.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical; Easements
Lake Champlain Sea Grant
UVM Extension
Water Quality Coordinator provides assistance to towns and other groups to improve water quality practices in urban, suburban, and rural settings, including practices on private lands and technical workshops on topics linking landuse, water quality, and Low Impact Development. Visit Lake Champlain Sea Grant website for additional information.
Agriculture / Residential: Residential
Assistance Type: Technical; Educational
Land Treatment Planning
Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District
Free development of a Land Treatment Plan (LTP) assessing a farm's soil and water resources and current land management practices. It compiles the core data needed to develop a USDA NRCS 590 Standard Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) -required for many farms- and provides recommendations for continued resource stewardship and for compliance with State and Federal regulations. The LTP itself is not a requirement, but will make doing an NMP easier. NMP(s) are required of: Large Farm Operations (LFOs-greater than 700 mature dairy cows); Medium Farm Operations (MFOs-200-699 mature dairy cows); and farms receiving assistance through Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. For more information visit Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Technical
Landowner Incentive Program
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Department
Protects and restores habitats on private lands to benefit rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals and significant natural communities. Provides free technical assistance to landowners with such species or communities and provides funding for restoration and conservation easements for qualified land. Lands must provide habitat for rare, threatened or endangered species and significant natural communities. Easements require a 25% cost match. For more information visit the Fish and Wildlife website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Wetlands; Riparian and Shoreline; In Stream or River Channel
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical; Educational
Landowner Information Series
Vermont Land Trust
Publication series on topics relating to land conservation, easements, and riparian conservation. Available for viewing here.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Publication
Northern Woodlands
Northern Woodlands
Northern Woodlands Magazine The Outside Story (Book) -forestry subjects, natural history, and ecology of New Hampshire and Vermont. The Place You Call Home (owner's manual) for landowners providing information on taking care of their land and getting the most out of it.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Publication
Nutrient Management Plan Incentive Grants Program (NMPIG)
VT Agency of Agriculture
Program provides payment for developing a nutrient management plan (NMP) and three additional years of updating the plan. Nutrient management is a component of integrated crop management, an important tool used to protect water quality and improve the financial viability of agriculture. NMPs are required of: Large Farm Operations; Medium Farm Operations; and farms receiving assistance through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. The Land Treatment Planning (LTP) program can assist in developing an NMP and is a free service of your Conservation District. Download the Nutrient Management Plan Factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Partners for Fish and Wildlife
US Fish and Wildlife
Program seeks to efficiently achieve voluntary habitat restoration on private lands, through financial and technical assistance, for the benefit of Federal Trust Species, including migratory birds; threatened and endangered species; inter-jurisdictional fish; certain marine mammals; and species of international concern. Partners program provides assistance to landowners to restore wildlife habitat and fish passage, often in drained wetlands and degraded stream banks, also assists with invasive species control. For more information download the Partners for Fish and Wildlife factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline; Wetlands
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Rain Garden Project
Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District
Technical assistance and information on designing and installing rain gardens to manage storm runoff and improve water quality. Download the Rain Garden factsheet for details.
Agriculture / Residential: Residential
Assistance Type: Technical; Publication
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
River Management Program
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation - Water Quality Divisi
The River Management Program seeks to resolve conflicts between human investment and river dynamics while maintaining the ecological functions and economic values of Vermont?s river systems. Program objectives include: fluvial erosion hazard mitigation, sediment and nutrient load reduction, and aquatic and riparian habitat protection and restoration. They support and implement channel assessment and management practices that recognize a stream's natural stable tendencies. They also provide regulatory review and technical assistance for protection, management, and restoration projects that affect streams and rivers. Download the River Mangement Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Shoreline Stablization Handbook
Northwest Regional Planning Commission/UVM Sea Grant
Provides information about Lake Champlain and shoreline erosion, including causes of erosion, specific shoreline stabilization options, how to plan stabilization activities and obtain required permits, and a list of additional resources. View the online version here.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Publication
Small Scale/Small Field Conservation
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Solve natural resource problems on small fields or a small scale using simple conservation practices and concepts. Topics include erosion prevention, grazing land and nutrient management, streambank stabilization, and the fundamentals of conservation planning. Free publication available for download here.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Publication
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited
Members will work with landowners on restoration projects relating to rivers and water resources; contributions may include labor, funds and materials. For more information visit the Vermont Trout Unlimited website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Wetlands
Assistance Type: Labor; Technical; Financial
Use Value Appraisal (Current Use)
Vermont Division of Forestry
The program enables landowners who practice long-term forest management to reduce their property taxes by getting their enrolled land appraised based on its value for forestry, rather than its fair market value. Land must be actively managed, usually requiring some degree of periodic harvest or management, though new rules expand coverage of ecologically significant areas not subject to harvest or other management. Young woodlands that don?t support a viable harvest can also be enrolled, but may require other active management (eg. timber stand improvement). Download the Current Use Factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Tax Reduction
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
UVM-Extension
UVM-Extension
Technical and education assistance, research and pilot projects for home/garden, agriculture, and forestry. Soil testing service. Promotes practices that are research-based and environmentally sound. Vist UVM Extension website for more information.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Educational; Publication
Vermont Agricultural Buffer Program
Vermont Agency of Agriculture
The program promotes water quality by providing incentive payments to plant a 25 foot wide harvestable (unlike CREP) perennial filter strip on annual cropland adjacent to a stream. Pays $90-150/acre per year plus $123/acre establishment costs. Five-year minimum contract required. No manure allowed on buffer, but fertilizer can be used with soil test and nutrient recommendation. Harvest between June 1st and September 1st only. Most buffers are 25 feet wide unless a water quality concern deems the need for a larger buffer. The participant can leave this program at any time to enroll the same land in another certified buffer program that the land is deemed eligible for, such as CREP. Download the Vermont Agricultural Buffer Program factsheet.
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Financial
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Vermont Land Trust
Vermont Land Trust
Provides technical assistance and education to landowners about land conservation. They conserve working farmland and forestland as well as sites of particular importance to communities (eg. town forests) by using conservation easements and other legal restrictions. Easements limit development and subdivision on a property but are designed to allow for agriculture or forestry and in some cases, recreation. Download the Vermont Land Trust factsheet for more information.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Educational; Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Vermont River Conservancy
Vermont River Conservancy
VRC preserves undeveloped land along rivers, lakes, and wetlands to protect public access, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, and ecological integrity. VRC primarily works to acquire riparian (riverside) conservation easements including on Agriculturals. VRC also provides conservation planning and site management assistance. Easements generally transfer vegetation management, river channel management rights, and development rights to VRC. Download the Vermont River Conservancy factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline; Wetlands
Assistance Type: Easements; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Watershed Coordinator
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Watershed Coordinators provide technical assistance for water quality related project design/development, as well as providing implementation assistance and helping develop partnerships and locate funding sources. Watershed Coordinators work with community members within the basin, initiating a comprehensive planning process that identifies and prioritizes state and local water quality issues and implements on-the-ground watershed protection and restoration projects. Download the Water Coordinator factsheet
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Wetland Protection and Restoration Program
Department of Fish and Wildlife
The goal of the Wetlands Protection and Restoration Program (WPRP) is to help protect the water quality of Lake Champlain through the restoration and protection of wetlands. The program can purchase wetland property or easements, provide funded restoration designs and implementation, and help leverage other funding. Ideal sites are ditched or drained wetlands as well as intact wetlands. Often partners with WRP projects and others. Download the Wetlands Protection and Restoration Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Wetlands
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical; Easements
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Wetland Reserve Program
Natural Resource Conservation Service
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering technical and financial support to help landowners protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland function and value possible, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. Enrolled lands are mostly high-risk Agriculturals located in flood prone areas. WRP offers an opportunity to establish long-term land and wildlife conservation through easements and cost-shared restoration practices. Download the Wetland Reserve Program factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Wetlands
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical; Easements
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP)
Natural Resource Conservation Service
WHIP is a voluntary program that encourages creation of high quality wildlife habitats that support wildlife populations of National, State, Tribal, and local significance. Through WHIP, the NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to landowners to restore and/or manage upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property. Examples include: early successional management; mast tree and apple tree release; fish passage; riparian forest buffers; invasive plant management; fencing to protect sensitive areas. By targeting wildlife habitat projects on all lands and aquatic areas, WHIP provides assistance to conservation minded landowners who are unable to meet the specific eligibility requirements of other USDA conservation programs. Download the WHIP factsheet.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline; Wetlands
Assistance Type: Financial; Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Wildlife Habitat Management for Vermont Woodlands
Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation
A Landowner?s Guide: Wildlife Habitat Management for Vermont Woodlands by Ronald J. Regan and Ginger Anderson, publication coordinators. Each creature receives an entire chapter that focuses on its natural history, habitat requirements and management practices or projects. Publication available from Department of Fish and Wildlife. (802) 241-3700.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Publication
Winooski Crop Management Services
Winooski Natural Resource Conservation District
Winooski Crop Management Services offers a self-sustaining crop management service employing a certified crop consultant. Services include field scouting; soil, nitrate, and manure testing; nutrient recommendations; and record-keeping. The program's goal is to provide a holistic approach to on-farm nutrient management while reflecting positive improvements in water quality. Download the Winooski Crop Management Services
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland
Assistance Type: Technical
Visit Website
Download Factsheet (pdf)
Wise on Weeds! (WOW!)
The Nature Conservancy
Prevents the spread of invasive nonnative land plants through public outreach and assistance to landowners and businesses; including site visits, advice on control methods and funding sources for landowners, and installing demonstration projects at public buildings and businesses. Vist The Nature Conservancy website for details.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture; Residential
Land Type: Forestland; Agricultural, Pasture, Grassland; Riparian and Shoreline
Assistance Type: Educational; Technical
Woodlands for Wildlife
Vermont Coverts
Produces and sponsors an intensive seminar on forest and wildlife management and shorter programs on specific forest and/or wildlife management topics. Provides information/ newsletters about pending legislation and topics of current interest relating to forest and wildlife management. For more information visit Vermont Coverts website.
Agriculture / Residential: Agriculture
Land Type: Forestland
Assistance Type: Educational; Publication