Cost-Share Program - PUB0624

The Soil and Water Conservation Cost-share Program was developed to provide financial incentives to help cooperators install erosion-control and water quality protection practices. The program has helped conserve and assure the continued productivity of Missouri’s soil and water resources, saving an estimated 176 million tons of soil and preventing many tons of excess nutrients from entering streams. 

Funds for the program come from the one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, which is voted on by Missourians every 10 years. This tax was last on the ballot in 2016 and passed in every county with a total margin of nearly 80% 

What rates are available for eligible practices?

The cost-share program provides in excess of $30 million annually to Missouri farmers. Approximately 6,000 contracts are completed each year on agricultural land to reduce soil erosion and protect water quality. Maximum cost share rates are set by the Soil and Water Districts Commission and generally provide up to 75% of state average cost for eligible components. Local soil and water conservation district boards may set rates lower in order to prioritize certain practices or encourage conservation in specific watersheds. 

How can soil and water conservation districts help landowners?

Districts are organized and operated by local citizens who promote protection, maintenance, improvement and wise use of the soil and water resources in their counties. Districts also inform landowners about soil conservation programs. 

A five-member board of supervisors governs each district. Four members, who must own farms in the district, are elected to office; the fifth is an ex-officio member appointed by the University Extension Service. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical personnel to assist the district in its programs. Those projects most effective in reducing erosion or those areas of the county with the greatest need for erosion control receive priority.

Who qualifies for cost-share?

With a few exceptions, you must be the legal owner of private farmland within the established soil and water conservation district to be eligible for cost-share funds. 

The cooperator must have an active conservation plan approved by the district. A conservation plan outlines a farmer's decision on how to most effectively use his land, and how to maintain or improve the soil, water and related resources. 

The list of eligible projects and practices consists of more than 50 proven soil and water conservation techniques identified by the Soil and Water Districts Commission. Landowners can obtain the list at their local district offices. 

Common Cost-Share Practices: 

• Terraces
• Rotational Grazing Systems
• Sediment Retention Structures
• Permanent Vegetative Covers
• Water Impoundment Structures
• Cover Crops
• Nutrient Management

Cost-Share Procedures:

1. Qualified landowners may apply through their local soil and water conservation district office. 
2. A district specialist will evaluate the proposed site and recommend practices to cost-share on.
3. District supervisors review landowner applications and conservation plans and will consider the needs of each landowner, the district’s priorities and the practicality of the project. 
4. Supervisors review applications for cost-share funds and determine how much assistance will be given to selected projects.
5. A district specialist will certify practice completion.
6. A claim for payment, accompanied by proof of expenditures, will be filed by the landowner after the project is complete. 
7. The claim will be reviewed by the board of supervisors. 
8. The claim will then be forwarded to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Soil and Water Conservation Program, which assists the districts at the state level, for processing. 
9. Reimbursement will come directly from the state.