Grants
The Glacier County Conservation District has resources that may help you find financial support for landowners, teachers and students. Explore the categories below.
For Landowners
Conservation Tree and Shrub Planting
Now is the perfect time to plan for large scale plantings on your property. This is especially true for landowners of newly divided acreage, homeowners associations and new subdivisions with few trees. A decorative border of trees and shrubs can improve the home environment, enhance recreation on your property, increase property value plus serve many conservation purposes.
Windbreaks, shelterbelts and living snow fences are linear plantings of trees and shrubs that slow the wind. In winter, it lowers your home heating costs by keeping the drafts away. A properly located windbreak provides snow control by reducing or eliminating drifting across the driveway or access road, keeping you safer. It can spread snow across your property, increasing spring soil moisture. In summer it deflects hot dry winds, keeping your yard cooler and greener. You may not need to water as frequently.
Shelterbelts can provide a visual barrier or screen, filter dust or noise. Fall color can be beautiful. Throughout the year a shelterbelt provides excellent wildlife habitat. Trees and shrubs provide rest and nest sites, food, shelter and travel corridors for many types of birds and mammals.
Other conservation plantings can be used for reforestation, erosion control or stream-bank stabilization. The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery produces Montana-hardy plants at low cost for use in conservation plantings. Landowners with more than 10 acres can order directly through them. They require a minimum purchse of 250 seedlings. We combine orders for people with smaller acreage to help you order earlier, which allows you to order below the 250 plant minimum. For general information about the Nursery, see their website athttp://www.dnrc.mt.gov/forestry/nurseryor call 406-548-4244.
For other sources of native plants, see the native plant sources list.
Small and Rural Public Water System Assistance
Training and technical assistance is available through grants from EPA for protecting our health and water quality in small and rural public water systems.
Training and Technical Assistance for Small and/or Rural Public Water Systems – Request for Proposals
EPA is soliciting proposals to provide training and technical assistance to small and/or rural public water systems to develop and implement source water (ground water and surface water) protection plans and wellhead protection plans. EPA is also soliciting proposals to provide training and technical assistance to small and/or rural public water systems for rule implementation, capacity development, and water systems operations. Public water systems include community water systems, and other small and rural non-community systems such as hospitals, schools, or mobile home parks.
More information about EPA’s efforts to help small public water systems is available athttp://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys.html
Tree Planting Grants
Global ReLeaf, a program of American Forests (http://www.americanforests.org/), is offering annual grants towards tree planting projects. Grants are available to support rural seedling projects restoring damaged forest ecosystems. Proposals are due January 15 and July 1st. Further information regarding Global ReLeaf Grants including application forms and criteria can be found at: http://www.americanforests.org/global-releaf-projects/submit-a-global-releaf-project-proposal/
Landowner Financial Assistance
Grant money is available to people for a variety of activities that support conservation and our environment. This is a list of programs and links.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Browse_All_Programs
For Students and Teachers
MACD Scholarships
The Montana Association of Conservation Districts offers two $500 Scholarships to Montana students wishing to further their education.
The MACD High School Scholarship is open to all Montana High School seniors.
- The Post-Secondary Scholarship is open to all Montana students who have completed at least two semesters at any of the state’s accredited post secondary educational institutions.
- Other eligibility requirements for both scholarships include Montana residency, a minimum grade point average of 2.5, and enrollment (or for high school applicants, plans to enroll) in a course of study that allows students to explore natural resource issues. Appropriate courses of study include agriculture, agribusiness, animal science, range science, forestry, environmental sciences, land resource sciences, plant science, etc.
- Students may receive each scholarship only once.
- The application deadline for both is February 15, 2008.
In addition to this signed application form, please submit:
- A letter of recommendation from an instructor familiar with your work;
- Your official transcript listing courses taken and grades received;
- An original 3-5 page essay demonstrating your knowledge of Montana’s conservation districts. Include information about the agriculture roots of the movement and describe the current responsibilities of Montana’s conservation districts. In addition, describe how your education and experiences have given you the opportunity to explore natural resource conservation. Pay particular attention to your knowledge of locally led and nonregulatory approaches, such as those utlized by conservation districts. Conclude with how you plan to put your natural resource conservation knowledge into practice in the future.
Application click here.
We offer a $500 scholarship to graduating high school students within GCCD district. Application and requirements may be picked up at the Cut Bank High School or GCCD office.