Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program: Conservation Covenant & Easement Grant

The Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program aims to support farmers and ranchers in preserving agricultural lands while enhancing natural resources. The program also addresses challenges like farmland fragmentation and conversion to non-agricultural uses. Applicants are encouraged to engage with OWEB staff for guidance and must submit applications through the online system by the deadline to ensure completeness.

NOTE:
Covenant and Easement grant applicants are encouraged to consult with OWEB staff before submitting an application, to discuss: (i) the project’s opportunities, benefits, potential challenges, and schedule; (ii) the applicant’s community engagement to date and strategy for future engagement; and (iii) the grant application and review processes. An OWEB funding decision is not made during the pre‐application consultation.OWEB strongly recommends that applicants submit their grant applications at least 24 hours prior to the application deadline. OWEB’s online grant applications include a verification step that will flag missing and incomplete information in the application. Verifying and submitting your grant application at least 24 hours in advance allows time for applicants to correct errors that are found during verification. All applications must be successfully submitted through OWEB’s online grant application system by 5 pm on the application due date.
Oregon’s well-managed agricultural lands are the cornerstone of the state’s rural communities. They support valuable fish and wildlife habitats and enhance other natural resources. Yet farms and ranches are increasingly challenged by fragmentation of farmland, conversion of farmland to non farm uses, complex regulations, and planning for generational transfers.
The State Legislature established the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) in 2017 to help address these challenges. The program provides voluntary incentives to farmers and ranchers to support practices that maintain or enhance both agriculture and natural resources such as fish and wildlife on agricultural lands. OAHP was developed by a collaboration of organizations representing natural resource conservation and agriculture, including farmer and rancher representatives.
Working Lands Conservation Covenants and Easements
The purpose of a working land conservation covenant or easement funded through OAHP is to preserve and protect the continued use of working land for agricultural purposes, and maintain or enhance fish or wildlife habitat, water quality, or other natural resource values on the land.