The Albemarle Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), provides cost-share funding to help control erosion, conserve water, improve riparian buffer areas, promote native vegetation and wildlife habitats, and treat and control stormwater runoff.
The Piedmont Master Gardeners Healthy Landscapes Program includes a site visit and personalized recommendations from trained professionals that will help you establish a healthy, sustainable home landscape.
The Healthy Virginia Lawns Program provides homeowners with science-based information on establishment and maintenance of lawns to reduce unnecessary chemical use that can harm our local waters and the Chesapeake Bay.
The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) offers home energy assessments to help you identify ways to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient, and that will save you money over time. After the assessment, LEAP can perform several upgrades or connect you with other qualified contractors. Visit their website to see if you qualify for reduced rates based on income.
The Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District offers cost-share funding to help homeowners pay for repair/replacement of failing septic systems, connection to public sewer, and routine septic pump outs currently has funding available only to property owners in the Goldmine Creek Watershed , Hardware River Watershed and the Tye River Watershed . Property owners in these three watersheds are eligible for 50% reimbursement towards the cost of expenses regardless of income. Some property owners, depending on income, may be eligible for up to 80% cost-share reimbursement.
The James River Buffer Program provides 100% of the project cost for qualifying landowners to install riparian buffers, including technical assistance with plant selection, initial planting, and three years of maintenance.
The Albemarle Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), provides cost-share funding to help control erosion, conserve water, improve riparian buffer areas, promote native vegetation and wildlife habitats, and treat and control stormwater runoff.
Landowners who retain a riparian forest buffer along waterways during a timber harvest can be eligible for the Riparian Forest Buffer Tax Credit.
The Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (TJSWCD) has many agricultural Conservation Assistance Programs that provide funding and technical assistance for farm owners to install riparian buffers and other agricultural best management practices. These programs can help landowners qualify for the Virginia Agricultural BMP Tax Credit Program.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Virginia has several Conservation Programs that help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and provide flood protection.
Land Conservation Programs
These programs help protect open space and rural lands in perpetuity with legal agreements called conservation easements. Landowners who put land into a conservation easement can qualify for state, federal, and local tax benefits, as well as other special grant programs.
A variety of land conservation organizations and programs are available to landowners in Albemarle County, and finding the right fit depends on your interests and the characteristics of your property:
Virginia Trees for Clean Water is a grant program that supports many types of tree planting projects, including riparian buffers, community or street tree plantings, neighborhood-wide projects, and converting turf to trees. It is a great opportunity for community organizations and homeowners associations!
The Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program encourages projects that protect and enhance urban and community forest ecosystems, tree planting, the care of trees, and education on tree issues in cities, towns, and communities.
