Nc Foundation For Soil And Water Conservation Inc

Educating the citizens: the initiative is designed to provide educational resources and opportunities on conservation issues to all citizens of the state. During the year, 7 careers in conservation scholarships were provided to students enrolled in natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, or a related field of study at nc universities and community colleges. The statewide soil health initiative continued with assistance from local soil and water conservation districts.

Building conservation capacity: the initiative is designed to support conservation capacity at the state level through pilot studies or at the local level through an influx of resources. During the year, districts were provided one-on-one support to develop farmland preservation programs in their county. A total of 86 subawards were created in 2024 for the following: 28 districts for low-cost rental equipment (and demo days) for improving soil health, 7 districts for shared-use, no-cost rental equipment for repairs on hurricane helene-affected farms, 38 districts for environmental education and outreach tools, and 13 districts for drones for agricultural use. Additionally, a program focusing on soil health and freshwater aquatic species support provided technical and financial assistance to districts through internship funding and data collection via an americorps service member.