Districts Awarded Technical Assistance Grant

This spring the Cumberland and York County Soil and Water Conservation Districts were awarded a National Association of Conservation Districts Technical Assistance grant to provide urban agriculture and backyard conservation technical assistance to Cumberland and York counties as part of the YardScaping program. With this grant, the Districts aim to help protect and improve water quality, conserve and promote the wise use of our land and soil resources, increase local food production, create wildlife habitat, and increase climate resiliency through education, outreach, and on-the-ground technical assistance.

In addition to providing YardScaping educational workshops and resources, District staff will be able to provide free site visits, soil tests, and recommendation reports to residents, businesses, and public entities. Examples of conservation recommendations include:

• Rainwater harvesting for watering gardens

• Creating vegetative buffers along waterbodies

• Safe gardening practices with lead-contaminated soils

• Improving soil health

• Creating pollinator and wildlife habitat with native plants

These practices also help to manage stormwater, replenish groundwater, reduce air pollution, and provide other benefits to the environment, our health, and our wallets.

Interested parties should fill out the YardScaping Technical Assistance Application. Requests will be considered according to grant requirements and until grant funds are depleted.