Land & Water Conservation

Soil and Water Resource Management

DATCP is authorized by s. 92.14, Wis. Stats., to award annual grants to eligible county Land Conservation Committees (LCCs) and other cooperators to support conservation activities. DATCP awards grants to counties to pay for county conservation staff and to finance landowner cost sharing. To be eligible for grant funds, a county must have a DATCP-approved allocation process working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The allocation process involves these steps:

(1) counties and others apply for grant funds,
(2) DATCP evaluates applications based on grant criteria,
(3) DATCP prepares a preliminary and final plan to allocate grant funds. Grant funds must be spent in the year allocated, except DATCP may extend cost-share funds for an additional year for specific projects.

Soil and Water Resource Management Grant Program Working Manual

DATCP administers grant funds by signing contracts with grant recipients. Grant recipients must use cost-share and other approved forms. DATCP reimburses counties and other grant recipients for expenditures up to the limit of their grant awards.

Every year DATCP revises guidelines for auditors to check on county spending of state funds. DATCP also requires annual reports that describe county conservation activities. DATCP prepares reports to show how DATCP funds are spent. DNR and DATCP develop an annual progress report on Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation.

For more information about Soil and Water Resource Management Grants Program, contact Stacy.Leitner@wi.gov, 608-224-4648, or Kim.Carlson@wi.gov, 608-224-4610.