Polk County
Polk County covers 745 square miles (476,800 acres) in the center of the Willamette Valley, extending from the Willamette River west to the Coastal Mountains. Approximately 60% of the county is in commercial forest production which is mostly privately owned. Approximately 1/3 of the county is in Agricultural production (166,663 acres), with nearly 72% of that land being in crop production. Major crops in Polk County are grapes, Christmas trees, grass seed, milk and dairy products, silage corn and fruits/nuts/berries (all ranking in the top 10 in the state). Polk County ranks #6 in the state for broiler chicken production and also produces cattle, sheep, horses as well as other livestock.
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Owners in Polk County
The following Conservation Implementation Strategies are available to help Polk 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 Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change
- Lower Willamette North Coast Animal Feeding Operations
- Meadow Restoration Polk Phase 1
- Polk County Oak Habitat Restoration
- Soil Health Restoration and Management North Coast/Lower Willamette Basin
- Climate-Focused Sustainable Livestock Production in Oregon
- Meadow Restoration Polk Phase 2
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.