Providing Technical Assistance
Agricultural Technical Assistance
The Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is aware that agriculture is a necessity in Tuscarawas County. We are striving to do our best to assist area farmers in preserving and protecting the land. The Tuscarawas SWCD assisted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can provide natural resource information and can assist land users in planning and applying conservation practices.
Listed below are a few examples of the technical services we offer:
- Provide information for rural and non-rural soil and water related problems
- Determine feasibility of on-site soils for construction from the Tuscarawas County Soil Survey
- Recommend the application of soil saving practices such as dry dams, waterways, cropping systems, contour strips, spring developments, diversions, filter strips, tile, and surface drainage
- Develop workable manure nutrient management plans
- Recommend environmentally sound options for manure storage, feedlot runoff, etc.
- There are programs available through NRCS designed to assist farmers in managing their natural resources in a safe manner. These programs are known as Federal Cost Share Incentive Programs, refer to list above.
If you are interested in any of these services, or, in gaining more information regarding a particular program, please call the Tuscarawas SWCD office at 330-339-7976 and ask for Dylan Stine, District Technician.
Urban Conservation Technical Assistance
The Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) can provide assistance with urban soil/erosion concerns as well as with agricultural concerns. The Tuscarawas SWCD can provide the urban homeowner with a variety of services:
- soils information for home site selection
- providing the homeowner with a home site development package
- information for drainage around homesites
- bank stabilization and erosion information for home site/lot development
- providing seeding/mulching rates for erosion control
- conducting on-site soils assessments for home sites, driveways, and other drainage/soils-related problems.
- This office routinely works with the Tuscarawas Regional Planning Commission in providing soils information for private drives and major and minor platted subdivisions.
Although the Tuscarawas SWCD is not a regulatory agency and has no enforcement powers, we can provide homeowners information about:
The Tuscarawas SWCD also works in conjunction with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) in addressing these issues.
If you are interested in any of these services, or, in gaining more information regarding a particular program, please call the Tuscarawas SWCD office at 330-339-7976 and ask for Dylan Stine District Technician.
Federal Cost Incentive Programs
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers federal programs to assist farmers in implementing conservation practices on their land. The programs are designed to encourage farmers to make improvements and share a certain percentage of the construction/implementation cost. Technical assistance is provided to the farmer by NRCS and Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Listed below are some of the programs offered by NRCS:
Conservation Security Program (CSP) - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/oh/programs/financial/csp/nrcseprd1299620/
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) -https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/oh/programs/financial/eqip/
Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/oh/newsroom/releases/51f7e84d-8310-461e-bcd0-89e6687d377f/
Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/oh/programs/landscape/nrcs144p2_029519/
Click here for a complete list of all programs and technical services provided by NRCS - http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs
