Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Environmental Protection Agency designated August as National Water Quality Month nearly 20 years ago to promote the importance of clean water in safeguarding public health, agriculture and the environment. From access to clean drinking water to growing healthy crops and sustaining the state’s ecologically important watersheds, water quality impacts every aspect of our lives. As Virginia’s lead conservation agency, DCR is committed to supporting both individual natural resource stewardship and local conservation efforts aimed at preserving the commonwealth’s water resources.
For the past four decades, DCR has administered water quality improvement programs designed to reduce water pollution caused by nutrient, waste and sediment runoff from farms. DCR encourages the reduction of runoff by offering cost-share dollars and tax credits to implement an array of voluntary agricultural best management practices, or BMPs, while offering nutrient management planning, conservation planning, shoreline erosion advice and technical and financial support for Virginia's 47 soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs).
Virginia’s SWCDs are integral to the success of DCR’s water conservation initiatives. The districts provide free resources and tools to farmers interested in adopting conservation practices and promote sustainable water use in their local communities through educational outreach. SWCDs serve as the gatekeepers to state’s cost-share programs by working directly with farmers to implement BMPs and distribute funding.
Here’s a closer look at a few of DCR’s key water quality programs available to farmers through their local SWCDs:
Since 1984, the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share (VACS) Program has grown from a single BMP to over 60 today and has helped thousands of farmers implement practices aimed at keeping the state’s waterways clean.
Agricultural BMPs provide a long-term boost to an operation’s bottom line through increased productivity and reduced labor and input costs. A record $207 million in cost-share funds and an additional $31 million in technical assistance is available for fiscal year 2025.
VACS funds a portion of the cost to implement voluntary conservation practices on crop and livestock operations with a cap of $300,000 per farm, per year. BMPs include nutrient management planning, no-till, cover crops, conservation buffers, livestock stream exclusion practices and alternative watering systems for livestock. If you would like to learn more about BMPs, please contact your local SWCD.
The Whole Farm Approach is a holistic approach to conservation planning that allows farmers to submit just one cost-share application for their choice of nutrient management and cover crop practices, allowing for wider adoption of BMPs while greatly simplifying the application process. For FY 2025, $54 million is reserved for implementing the Whole Farm Approach.
Launched in 2022 as a pilot program to seven districts, the Whole Farm Approach has expanded to 18 districts across Virginia and allows farmers to take into account the entire acreage of their operation when developing conservation plans.
Participants in the Whole Farm Approach are exempt from the $300,000 annual VACS participant cap. It doesn’t prohibit farmers’ participation in other cost-share programs, allowing farmers to maximize savings and environmental benefits.
Conservation plans are tools to assist producers in making sound environmental decisions for their operations. In Virginia, farmers can contact their local soil and water conservation districts to partner with certified conservation planners to develop a conservation plan tailored to their specific land and operation. They provide a road map that identifies an operation’s objectives, existing concerns and opportunities, while outlining what the next steps are to reach their goals.
By implementing effective conservation strategies, farmers can enhance soil health, protect water quality and foster biodiversity with the added benefit of increased productivity and access to state cost-share programs.
Farmers interested in applying for funding should contact their local SWCDs: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swcds
Learn more about DCR’s soil and water conservation programs here: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/swintro
Categories
Soil and Water Conservation
