Urban Resiliency Initiative
County: Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington
Resource Concern: Degraded plant condition - Plant productivity and health
Project Description
The Urban Resiliency Initiative seeks to address challenges associated with soil health and plant productivity on urban lands in the Portland metro area. The initiative provides financial and technical support to address these challenges through the implementation of conservation strategies, with a specific focus on identifying and avoiding contaminated soils and improving growing conditions for crop production. This initiative aligns with NRCS' broader mission to support and promote sustainable farming practices, to conserve our natural resources, and to foster the resiliency of urban food systems across the nation.
Conservation Practices
- Low Tunnel System (821)
- Site Assessment and Soil Testing for Contaminants Activity (207)
- Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
- Cover Crop (340)
- Nutrient Management (590)
- Soil Health Testing (216)
- Soil and Source Testing for Nutrient Management (217)
- Soil Carbon Amendment (336)
- Mulching (484)
- Raised Beds (812)
- Amending Soil Properties with Lime (805)
- PFAS Testing in Water or Soil (209)
- Conservation Cover (327)
Project Partners
- NRCS Oregon
- Private landowners
Application Questions
NRCS uses prioritization questions to evaluate applications for this initiative. See the list of workload prioritization questions on the Oregon EQIP page. Ranking questions below will also apply.
Ranking Questions
- Is the applicant located within the Portland Metro UGB?
- Is the applicant located within 10 miles of the Portland Metro UGB?
- Is the applicant selling or donating food grown on the operation to markets located within the
Portland metro UGB?
ACT NOW Funding
NRCS Oregon will be utilizing ACT NOW to process conservation applications in two ranking pools to deliver a conservation product faster. ACT NOW allows NRCS to immediately approve and obligate a ranked application in a designated ranking pool when an eligible application meets or exceeds a State-determined minimum ranking score. This means no longer having to wait for all applications to be reviewed and preapproved in a ranking pool.
Application Cut Offs: #1 – 11/29/2024; Application Cut Off #2 – 5/10/2025
Ranking Score Threshold – 99 pts