The following are steps and considerations if you’re looking to pursue a Virginia Conservation Assistance Program project. Please review the entire process before pursuing an application, project, or installation. The program is administered by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and requires working with the local district, developing a plan that meets state design specifications, and regular communication with district staff.
Do you have a resource concern?
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program is, first and foremost, a water quality improvement program. As such, any installations must address an issue on the land that impacts water quality down stream. These are called resource concerns.
Erosion, Poorly Vegetated Cover, and Excess Runoff are the three resource concerns VCAP treats.
Erosion is any evidence of soil or sediment moving by water: gullies, rills, or holes as well as deposited soil from elsewhere (especially common to see on asphalt driveways and sidewalks).
Poorly Vegetated Cover is any area where grass or plants struggle to grow. This could be due to fast-moving water leading to erosion or standing water drowning grass and plants.
Excess Runoff occurs when rain hits an impermeable surface–a surface water cannot run through–and picks up pollutants from that surface. As it moves downstream–through downspouts, across driveways, into drainage ditches, and eventually into creeks, streams and rivers–it moves faster and faster, leading to erosion in areas like drainage ditches and creek banks. The issue begins on an individual’s property, but often the damage isn’t visible until further downstream.
If you have issues like the ones below, you may be eligible for VCAP.
Announcement
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has implemented new regulations for rainwater harvesting systems that went into effect November 20, 2024. These regulations mandate owners to register all rainwater harvesting systems (Tiers 1-3 End-Uses and Tier 4 Potable). For further information and to access the registration forms, please visit this link.
Does your Soil and Water Conservation District offer VCAP?
Not all Soil and Water Conservation Districts offer VCAP. Please go to your local SWCD website to learn more about how your local district conducts their VCAP program.
Some districts have site visit request forms to gather information about your resource concern before scheduling a time to visit your property. Other districts only require a phone call or email to the appropriate staff member. If you are unsure, send an email or call your local office to find out more.
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Independent Cities/County not covered by a Soil & Water Conservation District
| Alexandria | |||
| Arlington County | |||
| Bristol | |||
| Clifton Forge | |||
| Colonial Heights | |||
| Danville | |||
| Emporia | |||
| Fairfax* | Served by Northern Virginia SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Falls Church | |||
| Franklin | |||
| Hampton* | Served by Colonial SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Hopewell | |||
| Manassas* | Served by Prince William SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Manassas Park* | Served by Prince William SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Newport News* | Served by Colonial SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Norfolk* | Served by Colonial SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Norton | |||
| Poquoson* | Served by Colonial SWCD through a cooperative agreement | ||
| Portsmouth | |||
| Radford | |||
| Richmond | |||
| Salem | |||
| Martinsville |
Who is ineligible for VCAP?
State and Federal Lands
Land in agricultural production that is eligible for NRCS or Virginia Agricultural Cost Share Program
Active construction (exemption for living shorelines and Green Roofs)
Other criteria:
- Must demonstrate evidence of a resource concern.
- Must have at least a 65 on the VCAP ranking sheet.
- Applications can only be signed by landowners or their legal representative (e.g., applications for rental properties must be signed by the owner and not the renter).
- Practices must be maintained for 10 years or *5 years. *for select practices
Which practice is best for my problem?
Your local SWCD staffer will conduct a site visit and suggest practices that will mitigate your resource concern. You can use the below to get an idea of what might best help you:
What else can I do to help prepare for a VCAP application?
After a site visit with a district employee confirms your eligibility for the program and suggests the right practice or practices to pursue, you will need to decide if you’d like to hire a landscaper or contractor to complete your practice.
Some considerations when deciding whether to “do-it-yourself” or hire a contractor:
>Engineered practices (all except Conservation Landscaping and Impermeable Surface Removal) require either an engineered plan with a professional engineers seal or a form waiving liability.
>Planted practices require only native plants according to the Flora of Virginia. *Cultivars are allowed at the discretion of the Steering Committee, with a strong preference to “do no harm”. This entails using only cultivars that retain flower and leaf color, flower shape, and bloom time of the native. Disease resistance and compactness are usually acceptable.
>Example of Creating a Native Plant Garden in Northern Virginia – written by Brooke Ehmann-Jones, a student participating in the SWCD Youth Conservation Leadership Institute and working with Earth Sangha in Fairfax County.
>Applications must include a design plan outlining how specifications are being met, per the VCAP Manual.
Click on each of the “Eligible Practices” to learn a bit more about design and see installation photos.
Each district has a slightly different application development process, but all will ask you to provide at least the design plan and the itemized cost list.
How long until I hear back about my application?
The application is reviewed by two groups: your local Soil and Water District Board and by the VCAP Steering Committee. The Steering Committee meets the last Friday of the month; applications are due the Friday before the meeting. Local boards meet once a month; check your local board website for that date.
Depending on when the district collates the application and the dates of the two necessary Board meetings, you could hear back about your application in one to two months.
My application was approved! What else do I need to know?
>You have until June 1 of the next calendar year to turn in your payment request, unless otherwise specified by the district staff.
>If you DIY, keep track of expenses including your time spent on the project.
>If you DIY, keep plant ID flags if the receipt does not specify plant genus and species.
>Take plenty of photos throughout the process. Photos of depths dug for practices like permeable pavers help affirm specifications are met; photos of lovely projects make staff happy!
>The final practice can deviate in small ways from the original plan and still be approved for payment. Any major deviations should be run by the district staff.
My practice was installed. How do I get reimbursed?
Your Soil and Water District will again send an employee to verify the practice was installed to specification. If that is the case, you will be asked to provide the itemized cost list or final invoices from a contractor, record of your personal labor if you “did-it-yourself”, and process photos. The district employee will collate this with the original application, including an cost share adjustments needed (as final costs are not always the same as predicted in the application).
The application–now a contract–will be sent to the Steering Committee for approval. Once approved, your check will be cut to the local district office, who will then cut a check to you.
Eligible costs are limited to what is necessary to the project construction. Full details of eligible costs can be read in the VCAP Manual.
Anything else?
All practices need to be maintained for their entire lifespan.
Your local district may periodically come to inspect the practice. Practices selected for inspection are drawn at random. You will be provided notice of an approximate date of inspection should your practice be selected. The purpose of the inspection is to assure the practice is functioning properly and continuing to protect water quality.
If you have any questions, reach out to your local Soil and Water Conservation District!
Additional Resources and Programs
Keep Virginia Beautiful Grants and Programs (Note: The resources below are provided for informational purposes only and do not qualify for funding):
For more information on both, view Keep Virginia Beautiful’s Spring E-news letter.
The Greatest Virginia Greenup is a statewide call to action to beautify the Commonwealth from the first day of spring (March 20) to the first day of summer (June 20) each year. Virginia communities come together to clean, plant, restore, and strengthen public spaces.