On The Ground Conservation Program

Overview

The On The Ground Conservation Program was created by Senate Bill 1118 during the 87^th Texas Legislative Session and was signed into law by the Governor to be effective September 1, 2021. The new law enhances the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board’s (TSSWCB) jurisdiction to include a wide range of natural resource priorities, authorizes the agency to provide voluntary technical and financial assistance toward the implementation of conservation practices to address those priorities, and directs the agency to form partnerships and seek out funding opportunities from other federal, state, or local governmental agencies and private entities. The primary focus of this new program is implementation, especially in partnership with other efforts that offer educational, research, or other activities. The TSSWCB is actively pursuing all potential sources of funding to address its eligible natural resource priorities.

Eligible Natural Resource Priorities

• improve soil health characteristics
• conserve and manage water resources
• prevent and manage flooding
• control invasive and nuisance species
• improve resilience to weather extremes, climate variability, and natural disasters
• protect and enhance native habitats, including the protection of endangered species
• mitigate and reduce soil erosion
• restore land damaged by development
• sequester carbon to provide environmental benefits