Grants and Cost-Share

National Association of RC&D Councils

Local communities understand their own challenges and opportunities better than anyone—but they often lack the resources, support, or networks to turn good ideas into real solutions. That’s where RC&D Councils come in. Rooted in the regions they serve, these councils lead from the ground up—building trust, fostering collaboration, and transforming community-driven ideas into practical, on-the-ground projects that improve land, lives, and local economies. The goal is to close the gap between vision and action by connecting people, ideas, and resources—creating the partnerships, leadership, and momentum needed to drive measurable, lasting change.

Montana Councils 

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.

Conservation Innovation Grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.

Conservation Stewardship Program

The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation. Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) provides funding to help State and tribal governments encourage landowners to allow public access to their land for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation.  VPA-HIP is a competitive grants program, and only State and Tribal Governments may apply. Projects may be up to three years in duration. The maximum amount for a single award is $3 million. Up to 25 percent of the funding for each award may be used to provide incentives to improve wildlife habitat on enrolled public access program lands.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative - Montana

The Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) is a grass-roots voluntary effort to enhance private grazing lands.

Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP)

The Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP) is a competitive grants program that supports the development and establishment of wetland mitigation banks to make credits available for agricultural producers.

MT Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC)

Hazardous Fuels Reduction Grant

The grant focuses on reducing the risk of wildland fire and catastrophic losses to resources and property in high priority areas, which may result from a wildland fire encroaching from adjacent National Forest System (NFS) lands.

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)

Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)

The program is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). To be eligible for EFRP, land must:

  • Have existing tree cover (or had tree cover immediately before the natural disaster and is suitable for growing trees); and,
  • Be owned by any nonindustrial private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity that has definitive decision-making authority over the land.

Updated 10/15/2025