The Ohio Department of Agriculture(ODA) is offering a new program to incentivize producers to voluntarily enroll cropland prone to flooding and erosion into a working land buffer or filter strip. The H2Ohio Working Lands Buffer Program (WLBP) encourages producers to convert specific cropland into a buffer growing warm season or cool season grasses, or a forage mix.
Benefits:
Benefits:
- Buffers filter surface water before it enters into streams and other water sources that contribute to harmful nutrient runoff to Lake Erie.
- Streambanks with buffers are more stable and have lower erosion rates.
- Conservation buffers are a visual demonstration of producers’ commitment to land stewardship.
- Acres converted from cropland or an existing filter strip, hay buffer, or field border with perennial vegetative cover.
- Along ditches, perennial streams, and rivers.
- An existing filter strip or hay buffer area that has expired from receiving funding through the USDA, ODA, and local grants.
- Buffer must be between 20 feet wide minimum and 300 feet wide maximum.
- Harvesting the buffer area is encouraged.
- Two-year contract (minimum) to maintain a buffer or filter strip for an annual $200 per acre rental payment.
- The new buffer cannot be installed adjacent to an existing buffer or filter strip.
- Filter strips & field borders that were previously meadows, existing pasture, and ditch maintenance right of ways.
Enrollment for the H2Ohio Working Lands Buffer Program is currently open through April 15th, 2024.
Those wishing to apply or learn more should contact Matthew Browne at the Lucas SWCD.
Additional Resources:
WLBP Practice Standard
NRCS Appendix A - Vegetative Cover for Forage Production & Erosion Control
WLBP Sign-up Process
WLBP Program Summary
Those wishing to apply or learn more should contact Matthew Browne at the Lucas SWCD.
Additional Resources:
WLBP Practice Standard
NRCS Appendix A - Vegetative Cover for Forage Production & Erosion Control
WLBP Sign-up Process
WLBP Program Summary
