Soil & Water Conservation Committee

The Committee works to protect New York's natural resources, focusing on environmental planning and conservation best practices.
A New York State field in the spring growing cover crops.

New Opportunities Help Farmers Protect Soil & Water Quality

Two grant opportunities totaling $19 million will help New York’s farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and more.
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Soil & Water Conservation Committee
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Our Work
Protecting New York's Natural Resources

The New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee works to advance on-farm, comprehensive natural resources management through the support of local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Soil and Water Conservation Committee operates under the leadership of the Department of Agriculture and Markets to establish policy, foster partnerships, and support diverse Conservation District programming that help farmers address environmental challenges and protect New York’s natural resources.

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Soil and Water Conservation in New York
Cooperative Stewardship Statewide

View an interactive map of New York's Soil and Water Conservation Districts and learn about the vast diversity of what these organizations do in your community to preserve and protect New York State's valuable natural resources.

A map of New York State's Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

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Creating Communication and Funding Opportunities
County Soil and Water Conservation Districts

New York’s 58 county Soil and Water Conservation Districts provide programs and services to conserve, enhance, and protect soil and water resources across the state. 

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Funding Opportunities

The Soil and Water Conservation Committee provides funding through the Agricultural Environmental Management Base Funding Program, the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Grant Program, the Climate Resilient Farming Program, and other natural resource conservation programs.

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Programs Helping Farmers Address Environmental Challenges

NYS Grown & Certified
A New Standard for New York State Agriculture
Agricultural Environmental Management is a required component of participating in the New York State Grown & Certified program, which promotes New York farms that are certified for adhering to higher standards in environmental sustainability and food safety.