Pecan Bayou Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), in collaboration with Central Colorado SWCD, Upper Leon SWCD, and Texas Farm Bureau, announces that the application window for the new Drought Resilience Incentive Program (DRIP) has opened.

DRIP offers performance-based payments to producers for brush control and reseeding in native perennials. The program is funded through a grant from NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The project’s priority areas include the watersheds of Lake Brownwood, Lake Palo Pinto, and Lake OH Ivie.

Brush control has been identified as a critical tool to enhance water yields in select municipal water supplies. This approach not only revitalizes the natural ecosystem but also bolsters the water retention capacity of these crucial watersheds.

DRIP requires less paperwork than other conservation programs, is managed by local government rather than state or federal, and is geographically focused only on priority watersheds. The performance-based-payment averages out to $348 per acre for brush control and reseeding in native perennials. Historically underserved producers can receive a higher rate, averaging out to $420 per acre for brush control and reseeding in native perennials.

Applications can be found at the Brown County NRCS office, located at 2608 Hwy 377 S, Suite B, Brownwood, Texas, 76801. Alternatively, you can call or email Cy Tongate at 325-430-3117 or at [email protected], and an application will be provided to you. Applications can be submitted at the Brown County NRCS office, or via the above email address. Applications will be accepted for 30 days from the date of this press release. After that, approved applicants will be contacted to complete a contract and conservation plan.