Lincoln and western Lane Counties are located on the central coast of Oregon. The coast’s climate is influenced by the ocean and is the wettest and mildest in the state. These conditions support highly productive forests which dominate the region. They are important ecologically and for local economies. Some towns in the region include: Florence, Lincoln City, and Newport. Forestry remains the primary industry in the interior areas; wood harvest quantities were high during the 1970's and 1980's, but have declined dramatically. Most private nonindustrial woodlands and livestock farms are small compared to the rest of the State. Tourism is important to the coastal communities. Fishing (both commercial and recreational) and fish processing are significant components of the economy.

NRCS has focused on forest management concerns in Lincoln County and western Lane County. As a response to historic markets, Douglas fir stands dominate the landscape. These Douglas fir forests are less resilient to pests, disease, and fire, than a mixed forest stand. Recent management tactics have included diversification of forest stands to include multiple species. Increasing the number of actively managed multispecies forests could improve the resiliency of coastal forests to disease, pests, and fire. The current focus includes agricultural lands and private non-industrial forests.

Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Owners in Lincoln and western Lane County

The following funding opportunities are available to local farmers, ranchers, private forestland owners and tribes. Click the project names below for more information:

• Statewide EQIP funding
• Local EQIP funding
• Siletz National Water Quality Initiative
• Conservation Stewardship Program (scroll to bottom)

Additional Funding Opportunities...

In addition to the local projects above, producers may also apply for statewide programs such as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program 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.