Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board sent this bulletin at 09/10/2025 09:00 AM PDT

The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) is now accepting applications for the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) Working Land Conservation Covenant & Easements grant offering.  

Applications are due by 5:00 pm on November 13, 2025. Grant applications must be submitted in OWEB’s online Grant Management System (OGMS). 

Applications will be considered for funding at the March 2026 meeting of the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Commission and for award at the April 2026 OWEB Board Meeting. 

OWEB will hold an open office hour at 10:00 am on September 25, 2025, to answer questions about the 2025 grant solicitation materials and process. To access the open office hour, please use this Teams meeting link. A recording of the meeting will be posted on the OAHP webpage. 

Program Overview and Eligibility 

OAHP working lands covenant and easement projects involve the purchase of a working lands covenant or conservation easement from willing sellers for the purpose of ensuring the continued use of the land for agricultural purposes while maintaining or enhancing fish or wildlife habitat, improving water quality or supporting other natural resource values on the land. The matching funds requirement is 25%.

Eligible applicants include entities eligible to hold a conservation easement as defined in ORS 271.715, other than a state agency. Proposed projects for this grant offerings must take place on lands that are actively used by an agricultural owner or operator for an agricultural operation that includes, but need not be limited to, active engagement in farming or ranching. These grants are available statewide. 

Application Guidance 

Please review the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program webpage for detailed application and program guidance. The documents available outline important information about the grant programs’ structure and provide guidance to potential applicants that will help determine if proposed projects are appropriate for the OAHP Grant Programs. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with the OWEB staff identified below to schedule a pre-application consultation.

Questions? If you have questions about applying to OWEB’s Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program grant offering contact OAHP Easement Specialist, Robin Meacher at (971) 301-1578 or robin.m.meacher@oweb.oregon.gov.