Rain Harvesting Financial Incentives

While reading a fascinating story on a couple who built themselves an eco-friendly tiny home, I noticed that they got a financial incentive to put up a green roof of growing things. Intrigued, I checked it out and found that Seattle did that sort of thing. There is, for instance, a rebate program for creating rain gardens and cisterns that prevent water from gushing back into the sewer system.  And there is a $5 per square foot incentive to put up the green roof.

There might be such things in your city. Toledo used to have financial assistance for rain gardens before the funding ran out. Increasingly cities are trying to give local residents and businesses some incentives to reduce water runoff. Even when grants and incentives don’t come from the government local nonprofits may get grants to help home and business owners. 

You can find out about other possible programs from organizations like American Rivers, or from Harvest H2O, which has a great state listing.  Or google the words rainwater harvesting incentives to see what else is available.

Money for Farmers in Michigan--and Elsewhere-- to Help Reduce Greenhouse Gases

The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA has announced grants available to farmers in 21 Michigan counties to plant cover crops and try new "nutrient management practices."  It's an effort to reduce greenhouse gases.The application deadline is April 15, 2013.  Payments will be made after the practices are put into effect, so farmers will still have to provide the funding on the front end. For more information about this and other environmental incentive programs for Michigan farmers, see this page. 

But since the grant is ultimately funded by the federal government, there's money for other states as well.  To find out more about other federally funded programs for farmers working to improve the environment with new farming practices, see this page of programs and their links.  They will include the latest states and nonprofits who have received funding for things like agricultural water enhancement and the wildlife habitat incentive program, and who will create funds for individual farmers.  Farmers need to identify the organizations and states that received federal funds, then ask for their guidelines for application.  Also, the USDA has just opened applications for another round of funding for states and nonprofits; whoever receives these grants will announce grant opportunities to farmers and ranchers in the next year.

Northwest Ohio! Get Your Ash Off the Property!

The emerald ash borer has created hotspots of destruction throughout the U.S. east of the Mississippi River, including the area in and around Toledo, Ohio.  Trees have been eradicated with grants and the use of public money on public lands, but people who had diseased trees on their own property were without financial help--until now. 

But the WSOS Community Action Agency is here to help.  In Lucas, Wood, Ottowa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties, homeowners with dead and dying ash trees can now get grants to help with the cost of tree removal.  Those within 300% of the poverty level must contribute 35% to the cost of tree removal, and those above that level must kick in 50% of the cost.  But you have to move fast--applications are only good through June 3, 2011.   For more information, call 419-334-8911or 1-800-775-9767. 

Looking for Some Sustainable Farmers and Ranchers to Honor

The Sand County Foundation is taking nominations for the 2011 California Leopold Conservation Award.  It's a $10,000 prize to recognize a rancher or farmer in California who "demonstrates outstanding, sustainable management of natural resources."  It's one of the Leopold Conservation Awards, also offered in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Wisconsin.  They are made in honor Aldo Leopold, the ecologist who wrote A Sand County Almanac.  See the website for applications for each state.

Grants and Easements for Environmental Preservation

Besides preserving the ecosystems of government-owned lands, federal and state governments often offer grants, tax breaks and technical assistance (advice) to the owners of private lands in order to preserve those ecosystems.  Of course, this is only for people who own land is is ecologically valuable, especially wetlands and environments that support rare species of animals and plants.   One of these is the federal wetlands program, but many states offer programs, too;  Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, even northeast Indiana (among many others) offer programs to land owners in the form of grants and easements (payments to keep the land undeveloped and in its natural state).   The National Landowners Network has a site that gives a state-by-state and federal rundown of financial incentives for land owners who agree to make their environmentally valuable land kept in its natural state, with commentary on its impact and usefulness to the land owner.