Richmond, VA - June 13, 2024 - Agricultural and forestry landowners and operators of selected areas of Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham counties are eligible to apply for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assistance under terms of the Archer Knob Project, a collaboration between numerous federal and state agencies that aims to improve forest management and water quality over a 41,900-acre area.

To be considered for Fiscal Year 2024 financial assistance, applications must be received by the local NRCS Service Center by close of business 7/15/24.

The NRCS has committed $463,311 in funding for projects within the Archer Knob area in Fiscal Year 2024 and the next two fiscal years as well. Other notable partners in the project include the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and the state departments of Forestry, Wildlife Resources and Conservation and Recreation. Funding for Archer Knob is being supplied by the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Program.

The project area consists of 25,600 acres in the George Washington and Jefferson national forests and 16,300 acres of privately held land outside those preserves.

The project recognizes the environmental value of the region’s pine and oak forests as habitat for a variety of species, some of them endangered. Goals of the project include support for threatened species, wildfire risk reduction and improved water quality recreational opportunities.  There will also be a focus on removal of invasive plant species and replacement with plants and trees native to the region.

NRCS practices eligible for funding inside the project area include some of the most utilized – Riparian Buffers, Prescribed Grazing, Conservation Cover Cropping, Forest Stand Improvement and Stream Bank Protection.

Applications will be evaluated for their impact on three key project objectives – wildfire risk reduction, water quality and supply protection and wildlife habitat improvement.

For more details, prospective applicants can contact the NRCS field offices in Lexington, Rockingham, and Verona.
 

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