Eligibility:
• The state, any county, metropolitan service district, soil and water conservation district, city or park and recreation district or a county service district established under ORS 451.410 to 451.610 to construct, maintain and operate service facilities in Washington or Clackamas Counties for the purposes specified in ORS 451.010 (1)(a) and (b) and in Washington County for the purpose specified in ORS 451.010 (5) acting alone or in cooperation with any federal or state agency, public corporation or political subdivision;
• A charitable corporation, charitable association, charitable trust, the purposes or powers of which include retaining or protecting the natural, scenic, or open space values of real property, assuring the availability of real property for agricultural, forest, recreational, or open space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural aspects of real property; or
• An Indian Tribe as defined in ORS 97.740.

Individual owners of working land are not eligible to apply for a Working Land Conservation Covenant and Easement Grant. There are a variety of eligible entities across Oregon that work with landowners interested in a working lands conservation easement or covenant. The majority of those entities can be found on the website for the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts or the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts.

In all cases the grantee is OWEB’s direct partner and is responsible for working with the private landowner to develop and implement the project.

Region: Statewide

Notes: The matching funds requirement is 25%.

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.