Buncombe County Ag & Land Department Spotlight: Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation
Created in 2020, Buncombe County’s “Ag & Land Resources” department is composed of Soil & Water Conservation, the Farmland Preservation program, Environmental Education, and Cooperative Extension.
The mission of our department is to conserve the soil, water, and related natural resources of Buncombe County by providing education, information, technical assistance, and economic incentives to county residents and by establishing new programs in concert with other appropriate organizations to meet the changing needs of Buncombe County.
Throughout the next 3 months these articles will highlight one component of the Ag & Land Resources department, giving our readers a better understanding of the services available to them through our partnership with Buncombe County government.
This month’s focus is on Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation.
How does Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation serve the citizens of Buncombe County?
The BCSWCD serves the community in a variety of ways. The District offers not only cost-share and technical assistance to address soil health and water quality concerns but also programs for Farmland Preservation and Environmental Education. The BCSWCD has 8 employees who focus on these three areas. There are two Soil Conservationists to manage the cost-share programs and to provide residents with technical assistance; two Farmland Preservation Program teammates who oversee our conservation easement program as well as the Farm Heritage Trail, agritourism, and farmland succession planning; two Environmental Educators who provide programming for all ages; and two Administrators to assist with the overall operations of the team. In the coming months we will explore the offerings of the Farmland Preservation program as well as our Environmental Education programs.
What is a Soil & Water Conservation District?
A Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is a local government entity dedicated to protecting natural resources within its boundaries. North Carolina has 96 Soil & Water districts. Many are county specific but some include more than one county. The Buncombe County SWCD is entirely within the Buncombe County boundaries.
What is the Soil & Water District Board of Supervisors?
A local government board consisting of 3 elected officials, voted for by the public, and 2 appointed officials recommended by members of the existing group and approved by the North Carolina Soil & Water Conservation Commission. Duties of the board members include setting priorities for concerns within the district, working with state and federal cost share programs, assigning and signing contracts for specific projects, and working in partnership with agencies such as the USDA and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service).
What is a Cost-Share Program?
These are government sponsored programs that provide financial assistance to the landowners within Buncombe County in need of conservation practices to address a resource concern on their land.
There are a number of cost-share programs available to Buncombe County residents.State Level:
- ASCP: Agriculture Cost Share Program
This program focuses on water quality and helps farmers reduce runoff andnutrient pollution in waterways.
- AgWRAP: Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program
Helps farmers build new farm ponds or irrigation systems to increase watersupply. Focuses on water quantity and helping landowners with specific types ofwater use needed.
- CCAP: Community Conservation Assistance Program
Assists non-agricultural landowners repair stormwater and erosion problems and addresses urban water quality concerns.
Federal Level:
- EQIP: Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Focuses on a variety of natural resources including water quality and erosioncontrol on farmlands currently being used in farm production. Under thisprogram, land continues to be used for farming while helping the landownerimplement ways to protect the soil, water, and natural resources.
- CRP: Conservation Reserve Program
In this federally funded program the landowner agrees to take the land out of production for a specified period of time so that common conservation practicescan be implemented.
- CSP: Conservation Stewardship Program
This program works with the landowner to assist with additional conservationpractices involving the entire agricultural operation over an extended period oftime.
Soil & Water Conservation services are available to all Buncombe County residents. Located at 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville, NC 28806, their office is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. They can be reached at 828-250-4785. Visit their website at Buncombe County Soil & Water Conservation.
