2026 Locally Led Survey

Please take a couple of minutes to fill out the survey at the link above to provide your input and perspective on what natural resource priorities are most important to you.

 

Locally Led Conservation Working Group

At the Working Group meeting will discuss the results of the survey and make recommendations based on the available NRCS practices to the NRCS State Technical Committee. Please join on January 30, 2026 at 2pm at the Poultney Mettowee NRCD office at 212 Main St in Poultney, VT to provide your perspective and suggestions.

 

What is Locally Led?

A process to strategically focus technical and financial assistance to the needs of different regions of the state, using the input and goals identified by local partners, landowners, land-stewards, and stakeholders.

The Locally Led Conservation model is a strategy from VT Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCDs) to deliver technical and financial assistance through the USDA's Farm Bill programs. The Locally Led  Conservation Delivery (LLCD) model focuses on leveraging community feedback, partnerships, and USDA funding to strategically invest federal dollars in local priority resource concerns to restore, conserve, and protect Vermont’s natural resources and working landscapes.

The LLCD model targets the conservation priorities of focused areas to achieve clearly defined resource conservation goals identified by local partners and individuals- it helps us deliver what you need here in this part of the state.

This new Locally Led Conservation Delivery model is:

• Partner-Centric: NRCS and NRCDs work closely with local, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to strategically focus our investments on the highest-priority needs in Vermont.  

• Cost-Effective: By collaborating with partners, NRCS and NRCDs leverage additional funding sources from other partner groups to make the most effective use of federal conservation funds.  Leveraging funds increases the total conservation investment and provides economic stimulus to local and regional economies.  

• Focused & Targeted: Instead of funding conservation projects by casting a wide net on a farmby-farm approach, NRCS and the NRCDs target their conservation investments in focused areas to achieve clearly defined natural resource goals as identified by local partners through a locally led process.  This targeted approach harnesses the power of multiple landowners in one area undertaking similar conservation projects to achieve a watershed or regional result.  

• Outcome-Driven: This strategic approach emphasizes planning with the end in mind.  NRCS and NRCDs will work with local partners to set measurable goals to track and achieve meaningful conservation outcomes.  

• Strategic Forecasting: The strategic nature of targeting conservation delivery helps NRCS, NRCD leadership, and field staff better understand short-term and long-term priorities across Vermont.  These priorities will enable the partnership to better track, plan, and monitor conservation projects in real-time.  Leadership’s ability to forecast budget into the future will drive strategic investments today, for a better tomorrow. 

 Locally Led Initiatives Storymap

How does it work?

• Every NRCD  develops a ‘Conservation Action Plan’ (CAP) which describes resource concerns that were identified through the survey, NRCD-led Local Working Group discussions and other available information from many conservation partners 
•  Wherever possible and appropriate, the CAPs are closely linked to existing local NRCD strategic or long-range plans, regional action plans, or Tactical Basin Plans (or similar plans).  Rutland NRCD refers to the local Otter Creek Tactical Basin Plan.
•  Taking the priority resource concerns from the CAP, NRCS and NRCD staff work with local partners to determine specific goals and outcomes for a defined area.
•  ‘Locally Led Conservation Proposals’ (LLCP) are derived from the Conservation Action Plans (CAP) and lay out the financial needs for a specific resource concern(s). More specifically, they describe the primary resource goals, proposed solutions and actions, necessary funds and technical assistance, and monitoring and evaluating methods as well as an implementation timeline and partner roles. Appendix C outlines the template to be used for LLCP submissions.
•  One Locally Led Conservation Proposal can be submitted per NRCD per fiscal year
• The LLCPs are reviewed by a review committee, comprised of NRCS and partners and selected using a set of criteria
•  The NRCDs with selected proposals will then more specifically outline the practices, resource concerns, and questions that will be used in the EQIP Locally Led Funding Pool. Once this is finalized and agreed upon the final approval will be provided and outreach will begin for projects.