Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Malheur County

Malheur County is the second largest county in the state and has an area of 9,874 square miles or 6.3 million acres. Seventy-two percent of the county is in public ownership. Privately owned land includes 1, 074,900 acres of rangelands and 396,000 acres of irrigated crop and hay. The NRCS office is located in Ontario. The NRCS staff provides technical assistance and administers NRCS financial assistance conservation programs. NRCS is currently conducting an inventory for the North Malheur Soil Survey and is working cooperatively with the BLM on the South Malheur Soil Survey and Vegetation Assessment.


Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Owners in Malheur County

The following Conservation Implementation Strategies are available to help Malheur County agricultural producers address targeted resource concerns identified in the Long Range Plan. Click the project names below for more information:

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.

Malheur County Long Range Plan

NRCS Oregon uses a Strategic Approach to Conservation to address priority natural resource concerns in specific watersheds and landscapes across the state. It all begins with a Long Range Plan. Each county develops a Long Range Plan with input from landowners, agency partners and other stakeholders that identifies and prioritizes natural resource concerns in the community. Based on those plans, NRCS works with partners to develop local Conservation Implementation Strategies to help agricultural producers in those targeted areas implement conservation practices that address the resource concerns. Long Range Plans are updated to reflect the changing needs and objectives of the county's natural resources.

Find Your Local Service Center

USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.