Conservation Planning

Molly Breitmün, TCRCD Conservation Planner, is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Weaverville Field Office team to help interested Trinity County residents apply for participation in NRCS financial assistance programs.

Molly and the NRCS team provide free technical assistance and can help you with the application process for NRCS financial assistance programs you might be eligible for.  

Did you know?

• There is no minimum land size
• You can be an owner or leaser of the land
• You do not have to be a ‘farmer’ to be eligible: Land with valid natural resource concerns are considered. For example, some participating Trinity County residents are focused on improving their forest’s health or post-fire disaster recovery.

NRCS Financial Assistance Programs: NRCS helps people improve the health of their land while protecting natural resources –soil, water, air, plants and animals- for the future.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

EQIP is a cost-share program to help people pay for conservation practices on their land to address natural resource concerns. If selected for a contract, participants can implement or pay to have someone implement the practices. After completion, participants can receive from 50-75% in reimbursement for implementing the conservation practices agreed upon. Historically underserved customers can be reimbursed up to 90% for implementation.

Examples of projects included but not limited to:

• Post fire disaster assistance: cleanup of woody residue after salvage logging
• Soil stabilization
• Wildlife habitat enhancement
• Water conservation: irrigation, water storage
• Forest health/future fire resilience: thinning, planting trees

EQIP overview: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ca/programs/financial/eqip/

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

The Conservation Stewardship Program helps people maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance - the higher the performance, the higher the payment. Typically, CSP participants start as EQIP clients first.

CSP overview: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ca/programs/financial/csp/

To get started: Fill out an Interest Form today! Please email the completed form to Chris Reisinger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mail to the NRCS Weaverville Field Office, PO Box 970 Weaverville, CA 96093.