Linn County
Linn County is known for specialty crops, livestock operations, timber products, manufacturing, and recreation. It is 2292 square miles, bounded on the west by the Willamette River and on the east by the Cascades Mountains. The west half of the county has a temperate climate of cool wet winters and warm dry summers. Along the east boundary, annual snowfall provides runoff water for irrigation, recreation and fish habitat. The bottomland soils range from the Class 2 sandy loams on floodplains, to the Class 1 through 4 silt loams on terraces and the Class 4 gravelly loams of the north central area. Upland soils range from Class 1 through 4 silty clay loams on foothills to Class 6 to 7 cobbly loams on mountains. NRCS works collaboratively in Linn County with Federal, State, Local and Non-profit conservation organizations to strategically deliver Federal Farm Bill Programs. The Local Work Group identified the high priority of reducing contaminated runoff through irrigation, nutrient, residue and livestock management, and developing and maintaining habitat for sensitive species.
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Owners in Linn County
The following Conservation Implementation Strategies are available to help Linn County agricultural producers address targeted resource concerns identified in the Long Range Plan. Click the project names below for more information:
- Forest Management Planning
- Forest Resistance and Resilience
- Hazelnut Conservation
- Oak Woodland and Prairie Restoration
- Local Foods and Food Systems Resilience Initiative
- Prescribed Fire Management Planning
- 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.