Virginia Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Program
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation offers a poultry litter transport incentive program to facilitate the efficient use of poultry litter as a crop nutrient source in areas that can most benefit from those nutrients and that are outside of the main poultry-producing counties. The goal is to encourage the development of self-sustaining poultry litter markets outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed and in certain designated areas within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Through the program, $17.50, $25, or $30 is provided per ton of litter moved to help cover additional costs associated with increased transport distances.
Who is Eligible?
Click the map below to enlarge.
Requirements
- Poultry litter must originate from farms in Accomack, Page or Rockingham counties.
- To receive an incentive payment through this program, litter must be transported to a final destination within designated eligible counties. See a map.
- Up to 800 tons of litter may be eligible per applicant per incentive request. Once documentation has been received by DCR, that request is complete, even if the amount of litter applied falls below the original request amount. Subsequent requests may be submitted after a request for payment, with all forms completed, has been received on the previous request.
- Completed Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Request Forms are valid for the current fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2024 and ends June 30, 2025.
- Complete and accurate supporting documentation to include the Chain of Custody, Field Application Record, Nutrient Management Plan, certified scale weight tickets and Virginia W-9 Tax Form must be received by October 31, 2025. Requests for supporting documentation that aren’t responded to by this date will be cancelled.
- Certified scale weight tickets for all tonnage moved are required to receive payment.
- A Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) must be prepared by a nutrient management planner certified by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for all fields scheduled to receive poultry litter.
- The end-user agrees to fully implement their nutrient management plan and to participate in NMP verification..
- Fields eligible for payment must have a Virginia Tech soil test phosphorus reading (i.e., Virginia Tech soil test reading P pounds/acre, Mehlich I) no greater than the following:
- Eastern Shore and Lower Coastal Plain: 270
- Middle and Upper Coastal Plain, Piedmont: 272
- Ridge and Valley: 324
- See for a list of eligible counties by region. See a correlation of other soil testing laboratories.
- Poultry litter must have been analyzed within the previous three years to determine nutrient content and final application rate for nutrient management plan development. If the analysis is unknown at the time the plan is being written, litter analysis shown in Table 8-4, Average Analysis for Manure Tested in Virginia, in the Virginia Nutrient Management Standards and Criteria, Revised July 2014, may be used to develop the initial NMP.
- No mortality (composted or otherwise) can be shipped as part of this incentive program. Litter containing mortality in any form will not qualify for payment.
- Litter with moisture greater than 35% is ineligible for payment.
- Litter off-loading and storage at the receiving site must be in accordance with the requirements of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Fact Sheet: Requirements for Poultry Litter Use and Storage.
- Vehicles used to transport poultry litter, including any application equipment, must contain the poultry litter within the cargo area without loss while operating on a public road.
- Spot checks for compliance with these program requirements may be performed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
How to Apply
- To apply for the payment, the applicant must complete and return the Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Request Form (DCR199-184), a Virginia W-9 tax form and the applicant’s Nutrient Management Plan to:
Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Program
Department of Conservation and Recreation
12 Sunset Blvd.
Staunton, VA 24401
- Once the forms are received, they are reviewed by DCR. The incentive request must be approved by DCR prior to litter transport.
- Once the Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Request Form has been approved for incentive payment and after the litter has been applied, submit to the above address the following completed forms (Please do not staple documents):
- These documents will be reviewed and if approved, processed for payment. The party who submitted the Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Request Form will then receive the incentive payment.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
