Gilliam County
Gilliam County encompasses over 850,000 acres; of which 92% are privately owned. This 92%, or 783,450 acres, is made up of 288,002 acres of dry cropland, 6,571 acres of irrigated cropland, and 488,337 acres of rangeland. The NRCS office, located in Condon, offers voluntary technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in natural resource conservation improvements. Historically the NRCS office has focused on soil quality for cropland, and more recently has begun working on juniper removal and irrigation efficiency improvements.
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Owners in Gilliam County
The following Conservation Implementation Strategies are available to help Gilliam County agricultural producers address targeted resource concerns identified in the Long-Range Plan. Click the project names below for more information:
- Drought and Wildfire Watering Strategy
- Lower John Day Canyons Restoration Initiative
- Wildlife Friendly Travel Corridors
- Climate-focused sustainable livestock production in Oregon
Additional Funding Opportunities...
In addition to the local projects above, producers may also apply for statewide programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Organic Initiative, Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative, On-Farm Energy Initiative, and conservation easement programs. Visit with your local District Conservationist for more information on these and other programs, or visit the NRCS Programs webpage.
Local Work Group Meetings
Every year, NRCS hosts a Local Work Group meeting where farmers, landowners, conservation partners and other members of the community discuss the natural resource needs for the county. Based on feedback from those meetings, NRCS updates the county's Long Range Plan and develops new Conservation Implementation Strategies to address those resource concerns. You may contact us anytime to express concerns or comments about conservation needs in the county, and we encourage you to attend the next Local Work Group meeting in your county. For more information about Local Work Group meetings, contact your local NRCS office.