Grant Profile: Soil Health Cost Share

Grant Description

This noncompetitive grant provides cost share dollars for practices focused on soil health. “Soil Health” is defined in MS 103C.101, Subd. 10a as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Indicators of soil health include water infiltration capacity; organic matter content; water holding capacity; biological capacity to break down plant residue and other substances and to maintain soil aggregation; nutrient sequestration and cycling capacity; carbon sequestration; and soil resistance.

Reporting Overview

A work plan must be approved before work can begin on this grant. The work plan should be developed in eLINK using the activities proposed in the application, although BWSR may require additional details at this stage.  The work plan will lock upon submittal to BWSR for approval, preventing edits to the approved budget but allowing you to enter expenses and reporting details as work is completed.

Eligible practices may include:

• Alley Cropping 311
• Conservation Cover 327
• Contour Buffer Strips 332    
• Cover Crop 340    
• Critical Area Planting 342
• Field Border 386    
• Filter Strip 393    
• Forage and Biomass Planting 512
• Forest Stand Improvement 666    
• Multi-story Cropping 379    
• Prescribed Grazing 528    
• Residue and Tillage Management (No-till) 329    
• Riparian Forest Buffer 391
• Silvopasture 381
• Tree and Shrub Establishment 612
• Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment 380  
• Windbreak/Shelterbelt Restoration 650    

Additional practices may allowable; please consult with your Board Conservationist during the work plan process.

Grant recipients are required to report on grant outcomes, activities, and accomplishments in eLINK according to the requirements outlined in the grant agreement and policies within BWSR’s Grants Administration Manual.