Streamside Planting Programs
On this page:
Why it’s important:
Helping Landowners
We offer voluntary streamside planting programs that incentivize landowners to plant native trees and shrubs on streamside properties.
Our programs provide landowners with planning services, materials, weed control, planting labor, and project maintenance.
Financial incentives for streamside planting:
- Soil rental payments
Farmers can receive payments to offset revenue from farm acres taken out of production.
- Coverage of project costs or cost-share options
Our programs will cover all or most costs of the planting project.
- Cash bonuses
Additional payments may be made for projects that neighbor existing planting projects.
Benefits of increasing trees and shrubs along streambanks:
Purpose:
Our programs exist to support you.
You are the expert when it comes to managing and stewarding your land. We are not a law enforcement or regulatory agency, but we can help you understand and comply with rules that affect you. Our voluntary projects are designed to incorporate your land management goals with human and environmental needs.
Eligibility:
Which program is right for you?
Many factors help determine which of our streamside planting programs is right for you and your property. Each program has specific eligibility criteria that include the location, size, land use, and condition of your property.
Both of our programs provide project funding and have various options for length of commitment. All work is supervised by Tualatin SWCD – landowners do not need to prepare the site or plant trees.
We will help you decide which program is right for your property and management goals:
Enhanced Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (ECREP)
Suitable for cropland along streams
Eligible landowners receive annual soil rental payments
Other benefits include:- Optional in-stream water rights leases that protect your active water right
- Potential bonus payments if your project is located within one mile of another enrolled project.
Funded by a combination of federal and local sources and is offered at no cost to the landowner
Vegetated Buffer Areas for Conservation (VEGBAC)
- Suitable for rural land along streams
- Provides an alternative for landowners who don’t qualify for ECREP or who prefer flexibility over financial benefits
- Landowner shares some of the costs during the first five years of the project
- Optional short-term easement reduces landowner costs and increases eligibility for additional payments.
Program is funded solely by local sources
Interested in enrolling in a streamside planting program?
- Contact Our Enrollment Specialist:
- Have us meet you for a site visit.
Our staff will visit your property to discuss your land management goals and to assess conditions of the stream. We will determine whether one of our programs is right for you. We are not a reporting agency and site visits do not serve enforcement purposes. No commitment is required for a site visit.
- Complete an enhancement agreement and conservation plan.
If your property is eligible for enrollment, our staff will work closely with you to create a plan for planting your streamside.
- We do the work!
We handle all site preparation, planting, and maintenance required to implement the project.