Soil & Water Conservation Commission Offers Low Interest Loans
At a recent meeting, the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission made a change to its revolving loan fund to provide farmers and ranchers with additional resources to implement conservation practices on their land. The revolving loan fund known as the Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP) will offer loan limits up to $200,000, an increase from $125,000.
The RCRDP loan program is authorized by Idaho law to provide low interest loans to farmers and ranchers for resource management projects and improvements. The interest rate for an individual loan varies from 3 – 5%, depending on the length of the loan. Interested applicants may now apply for a single loan of up to $200,000, but cannot exceed a total of $300,000 in total loans per individual.
“The Commission’s loan program is a tremendous avenue for farmers and ranchers to find the capital to meet their conservation goals,“ said Bill Flory, SWC Chair, from Winchester. “We’ve got over 200 current loans and hope to see additional applications as a result of the increased limits.”
The first step for interested applicants is to submit an application and conservation plan to their local conservation district. The local conservation district will review the conservation plan and forward a recommendation ranking that particular project to the SWC. The applicant will then provide financial and collateral information to the SWC office in Boise. SWC staff will then prepare the loan package for review by the Commission at the next scheduled meeting.
Completed applications received before September 3rd will be reviewed during an SWC conference call on September 28th. Completed applications received before October 15th will be reviewed by the Commission during a November 17th meeting in Burley.
The SWC works closely with local Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the wise use and enhancement of soil, water, and related resources. The SWC and local districts are committed to improving the environment, increasing public awareness of conservation issues, and supplying landowners and land users with the technical information needed to implement conservation measures and improve natural resource management.
For more information about the loan program or to find your local conservation district email info@swc.idaho.gov or call 208/332-1790. A RCRDP fact sheet and application form can also be found under the ‘Programs’ tab on the SWC website at www.swc.idaho.gov.
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