Price-Based Instruments; Environmental Outreach & Education
Subsidies, Grants & Incentive Payments; Technical Assistance
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI) is a targeted effort to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads coming from private lands. Through CBWI and other Farm Bill programs, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners help private landowners and managers implement conservation practices that protect the watershed's soil and water resources while maintaining productive working lands. Under CBWI, eligible landowners receive technical and financial assistance to address soil erosion, sedimentation and excess nutrients in streams and waterways. Farmers and forest landowners plant stream buffers, restore wetlands, properly manage manure, and implement other conservation practices as part of CBWI.
Investments in private lands conservation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed benefit farmers and ranchers by supporting conservation activities that improve soil and water quality. These improvements support long-term productivity and reduce the need for additional regulation.
USDA: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative