Has anyone heard of the government paying a portion of the expenses to have a pond dug on your property? Possible wildlife habitation ramifications etc... I had thought I heard the govt will fund part of the project due helping the wildlife but not sure if I dreamt it or what. Any know?
government grants for digging a pond?
GoatsRus
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Get the goverment out - independence it was founded on - where did you come from? A good portion of the land owned by folks here was originally granted to wealthy patrons of the King of England - land charters. Of course we should never forget, our country was founded on land we stole from native people and much of it was cleared and built on the backs of slave labor - mostly black and asian but also immigrants from other countries. . Once we had a formal country and government - 1000s of land grants were made to folks to move off the east coast northern cities and form farms, villages, towns and eventually states etc in other parts of the country. Most of these folks would have never had the money to buy land - it took everything they had to gather money to get supplies and travel from the northeast cities. This continued well after the civil war. Also - huge blocks of millions of acres (owned by government) were first public grazing lands with no fences and open to anyone who could "hold" the land and then became more controlled due to the increasing numbers of people. As more private land was fenced - and it was realized how the cattle barons were greatly profiting off government maintained land - the land became long term leased land. There are still huge parcels of millions of acres under these long term leases and many by the same families for a couple hundred years. Though they pay a fee - it is basically for free when you look at the leasing rates. However, much of the land was scrub and desert - now it has been cleared irrigated etc and is much more useable. Of couse, it was the government who put in all the dams that now provide that irrigation water. Anyone can put their name on the waiting list for these lands as their current leases expire (and aren't renewed) but it will a long wait as it doesn't happen often.
The government provided the cost to provide water, electrical and transportation services to these areas which allowed them to grow. Even though private companies were also involved like in the railways..the government was the big support system for everything from A-Z needed for people to live and prosper. Without the gov backing banks and loans no one would have the money they needed to create businesses. I know from our own family history - back in the depression years when cattle were starving and dying from drought out west, the government paid to have cattle shipped east and grazed to health on eastern/southern pastures. This helped the cattle industry, provided income to land owners here (who employed and provided land to work/live on to sharecroppers like our family) and once fattened, those cattle provided much needed meat for the east coast cities. People gripe about the gov but when disaster strikes - the first question is always " what and when is the government going to do something". Think of a simple snow storm - it is the gov who clears the streets so you can get to your jobs, who closes the schools your children attend to keep them safe, who either provides the electricity/backs the electric companies/or who regulates them that keep your homes warm. It is the government who runs the police departments and emergency services to protect your homes or gets your grandfather to the hospital who has fallen shoveling snow on the back patio. It is the gov who helps manage and regulate our food supplies so they keep moving (roads cleared, electrical on, etc) to our nearby stores and that helps prevent greedy businesses from upping the prices of basic foods just because of storms and disasters. Then think of the low price we pay for fuel in this country - why - because it is subsidized by who else, the government. Many developed countries pay as much as 4 times what we pay here. Look it up. That is why it is important to conserve fuels and try to use alternative supplies like wind and solar along with making cars and heating souces more efficient. Oil, gas and any natural supplies including water and maybe sometime in the future - air - are not never ending. At some point, we will run out and many areas are already out of water or they are one disaster from being out totally. Research the water problems out west - start with Nevada and LasVegas, then move to California. We have plenty of oceans but desalination plants would never keep up with our needs and the oceans will run out to if we keep depleting and polluting them. Global warming has decreased the polar ice cap and mountain snow melt that use to replenish rivers and ground water - as these snow melts decrease so does our water supplies. As water decreases, trees etc dies from no water - without green forests and wetlands - there goes our reasonably clean air. Everything is connected and usually it is the gov trying to back, promote, support, and protect the improvement needed by and for private individuals.
So my point is - we have been dependent on the government for centuries - without them we wouldn't have defeated the indians whose land it was to begin with, along with the Mexicans who owned much of the western territory along with the countries of France and Spain who also wanted this new land. Don't forget England who wanted it to remain under their control. Without the goverment we wouldn't have an America/USA. No one is an island - we need each other at all levels.
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Yes there are along many other types of grants and conservation programs for farm and private land owners. Check with both the federal and your individual state forestry deptarments; state universities and extension services - they are a wealth of information.
Here are some other sources of grant information: some are specific states but the same sort is most likely in your state too, and many states work the same way as they are also federal backed. some of the below are specific to pond development, others are all the various programs offered. If the links don't work, then do a search on the organization and then you will need to click around in the site to get to the program you are interested in. Hopefully these all work for you as I pulled them directly from the websites.
http://www.privatelandownernetwork.org/Grant-and-Assistance-Programs/
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_030362.pdf
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/newsle...pondregs.htmtp://www.privatelandownernetwork.org/Grant-and-Assistance-Programs/
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/?cid=stelprdb1048817
http://www.ncagr.gov/environmentalp...ironmentalprograms/documents/Agricultural Pond Development - FAQs (9-23-11).pdf
http://www.mnwcd.org/can-i-alter-my-wetland/
hhttps://www.southernstates.com/articles/usda-farming-grants.aspx
www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-programs/conservation-reserve-enhancement/index
https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/fsa-9104.pdf
http://www.ncagr.gov/FarmingForestry.htm
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/services/index.htm
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I had a post deleted yesterday for pointing out the fact a "necrothread" had been revived.
I understand there's no rule against it, but many don't pay attention to the dates, and attempt to have conversations with people who are no longer here.
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As it stands today, the feds will still underwrite most of the cost of your farm pond, at least the way we have used it. Some rules:
1. It can only be a certain size. Anything bigger, you pay 100% of the cost. But, since the equipment is already there and cash money talks, it may not be as much more as you think.
2. The one we did mandates it is for wildlife use and not livestock use.
3. You can stock it. We put in catfish, a hybrid bream, a few bass and lots of minnows for predator food. Fed the catfish for the first couple of years.
4. You must allow limited public access. Keep your mouth shut about who helped pay for it, put the pond in a location not seen from the road and make 'em walk. We've never even had anybody ask to fish.
5. There is only so much money allocated and first come, first served. Work with your authorities about when papers need to be submitted and when monies are allocated. In this case, being towards the front of the line is definitely better.
1. It can only be a certain size. Anything bigger, you pay 100% of the cost. But, since the equipment is already there and cash money talks, it may not be as much more as you think.
2. The one we did mandates it is for wildlife use and not livestock use.
3. You can stock it. We put in catfish, a hybrid bream, a few bass and lots of minnows for predator food. Fed the catfish for the first couple of years.
4. You must allow limited public access. Keep your mouth shut about who helped pay for it, put the pond in a location not seen from the road and make 'em walk. We've never even had anybody ask to fish.
5. There is only so much money allocated and first come, first served. Work with your authorities about when papers need to be submitted and when monies are allocated. In this case, being towards the front of the line is definitely better.
The USDA's soil and water conversation district department of the NRCS (natural resources conservation service) is who to call.
It's basically a reimbursement program. I believe they'll pay 70% of the cost.
The first step will be fill out an application, they'll do a site visit, if it seems feasible and for an approved purpose, they'll send an engineer to survey and design the project.
If you enter into a contract you'll have a set amount of time to get it done, by the engineers specs.
The whole point is to prevent folks from doing it wrong and causing erosion, and damage to water ways, and drinking water systems. The goal is for it use the lessons of the past to help the project be long lasting and not a blight on the environment and other people so to speak.
An awful lot of ponds etc are built quick, and substandard, and thus fail and leak silt, mud, etc into the water system for long periods of time.
My advice as someone who thought they could read up on it, determine soil type, develop a plan and the fail at pond building a couple of times, is do it right or don't do it.
It's basically a reimbursement program. I believe they'll pay 70% of the cost.
The first step will be fill out an application, they'll do a site visit, if it seems feasible and for an approved purpose, they'll send an engineer to survey and design the project.
If you enter into a contract you'll have a set amount of time to get it done, by the engineers specs.
The whole point is to prevent folks from doing it wrong and causing erosion, and damage to water ways, and drinking water systems. The goal is for it use the lessons of the past to help the project be long lasting and not a blight on the environment and other people so to speak.
An awful lot of ponds etc are built quick, and substandard, and thus fail and leak silt, mud, etc into the water system for long periods of time.
My advice as someone who thought they could read up on it, determine soil type, develop a plan and the fail at pond building a couple of times, is do it right or don't do it.
The county NRCS office will be listed. It usually shares an office with the FSA. It is not part of the extension service. Although they do work together.
And you can get the engineering study done and do the work yourself and not use the program. It's about prevention of erosion, ECT.... It couldn't hurt to get a study done.... That parts free.
And you can get the engineering study done and do the work yourself and not use the program. It's about prevention of erosion, ECT.... It couldn't hurt to get a study done.... That parts free.
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From what I understand, it is to help things like wildlife...like geese when they migrate, etc. it helps government in someway. That is why you get a break. It is not that the government wants to beautify our land. It is the conservation. It must save them money in the long run; upkeep, etc. That is why they help defray the cost.
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Might be a program (they used to pay part of building terraces for erosion control on crop land) but I would think long and hard before I got into bed with any part of government. You may discover they are like some relatives - once you let them in you may not get them out!
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I have used some these government programs to sprig new pastures and clean out the existing ponds that I built earlier, I think some of you are partially right but most are not at all. The applications are simple and not burdensome, the agents are forthcoming and helpful. I have never had them return to my farm or even call me for any reason after the original meeting to see exactly what I had in mind, what they recommended, if anything, and what they were willing to help with. Call your county NCRS agent and he will know what is available or is coming in the near future, but you'll be better served to get on the email list to stay on top of all the USDA and NCRS literature that comes out daily, it's a lot but can be beneficial to say the least. These people are getting paid to help, they have the money and resources to do that, if nothing else they'll steer you in the right direction, usually.
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The Department of Agriculture will pay a portion of the cost for ranchers and farmers to drill wells in some areas. I have never heard of them paying to help with a pond. But it couldn't hurt to ask.
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My buddy got government cost sharing on his pond construction (I believe 50%) through the local soils office.
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Hi bingle, we get a lot of spammers here, particularly those that sign up, and within minutes, reply to a very old thread and never post again. Just letting you know that many here may think that you fall into this category. Why don't you prove us all wrong and tell us a bit about yourself.
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There no native people in North South or Central America! They simply migrated here prior to the European "discoverers"!!
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What's your point? And what does that have to do with the original post?
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