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Marion County

Marion County is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley and encompasses approximately 1200 square miles totaling 769,624 acres. The county is the largest agricultural producing county in the state of Oregon & producing over 254 varieties of crops Marion County is also the most diverse agricultural producing county in the United States. Over 65% of the county is privately owned with Federal and State forest covering approximately 35%. Annual precipitation ranges from 40 inches on the west side of the county to 120 inches into the Cascade Range. Marion County produces many high value crops on over 200,000 irrigated acres of fertile Willamette Valley soils. Salem is the state’s capital and the NRCS field office is also located in Salem.

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

The following Conservation Implementation Strategies are available to help Marion 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.

Marion 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.