Photo Winner - Ohio River
2022 science camp at Camp Oyo
Photo provided by Ohio Division of Wildlife
Photo Winner - Ohio River
Current & Upcoming Events
2026 Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Sign Up Deadline January 15
EQIP is administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and is a conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:
Improved water and air quality; Conserved ground and surface water;
Increased soil and plant health; Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation; Improved or created wildlife habitat; Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility and many others.
The current EQIP application deadline is January 15, 2026. For more information on this program visit the Ohio NRCS website here or call our office at 740-259-9231 Ext. 4.
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Clean Ohio Local Agricultural
Easement Purchase Program
The Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District has been selected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) as a local sponsor for the Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program (LAEPP) for 2026 for Scioto County. This program is also known as the Farmland Preservation program.
This program provides funding to farmland owners for placing a permanent agricultural easement on their property to ensure their farmland remains as agricultural land in perpetuity. All easement transactions are recorded on the property deed and transfer with the land to successive owners.
If you are interested in learning more about this program, please visit the ODA Farmland Preservation site here.
The landowner application must be completed and submitted to ODA by the Scioto SWCD with the 2026 landowner application period beginning January 15, 2026. Any interested landowners must have the pre-application forms below submitted to the Scioto SWCD office no later than January 16, 2026.
The Scioto SWCD landowner Intent to Apply cover letter can be found here and the Pre-Application form can be found here. These give some more program details as well as a listing of landowner costs and fees to expect.
We ask that you thoroughly review the LAEPP information on the ODA site as well as the information on the Scioto SWCD forms. If you are seriously interested in pursuing the program for your farmland property, please contact our office for further detailed information on program application.
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The Conservation Homestead:
Building a Sustainable Future
Program Series
Scioto SWCD plans to continue our monthly homesteading, self-sustainability skills and conservation focused series of public programs on the final Thursday of each month beginning again on January 29, 2026. The programs will be in partnership with local homesteaders and those practicing crafts and skills useful in self-sustainability and conservation. We are in the process of planning our schedule for next year and will announce it as soon as we have it finalized.
The programs are free of charge but registration will be required as space is limited. To register call our office at 740-259-9231 ext. 4, send an email with names of those attending and phone number to info@sciotoswcd.org or respond to the event on the Scioto SWCD Facebook page.
If you have any suggestions on subjects you would like to see covered call our office or send us an email at info@sciotoswcd.org.
Scioto County Beekeepers Association
The newly formed Scioto County Beekeeper's Association will be holding monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Lucasville USDA Service Center building. Please check and follow their Facebook page for the next scheduled meeting date and other updates and information at Scioto County Beekeepers Association | Facebook. They also have a newly created website found at https://sciotocountybeekeepers.org/
Rain Barrel and Kit Reduced Price
Scioto SWCD currently has rain barrel kits for sale. The kit includes a 55-gallon food-grade barrel and everything needed to connect to a roof downspout, except for a couple of tools, providing a way to collect and store rainwater runoff.
This can help with stormwater runoff as well as providing a source of water for watering plants and animals. The cost for the kit is $40 including tax. If interested, call our office to check on availability.
Wildlife Habitat Initiative Program
The Wildlife Habitat Initiative is a new conservation program offered by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, along with USDA-NRCS and NBGI Foundation, that is focused on improving grassland bird, pollinator and other wildlife habitat on private lands within Ohio. Eligible landowners can receive incentive payments for implementing habitat practices on their property. For Scioto County, a landowner must enroll at least 5 acres to be eligible for this program.
More information on this program can be found on this factsheet.
If you are interested and would like more information please call the Division of Wildlife Wildlife Management Consultant for Scioto County listed on the factsheet or call Scott Lewis at Scioto SWCD at 740-250-2862.
Southern Ohio Grazing Council
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The Council is a group of livestock producers in the southern Ohio region that periodically meet at producer's farms to discuss livestock and grazing operation management and related topics. If you would like to be added to their email list to receive information on upcoming events, send an email to conaway.adams.swcd@live.com. Include your name, address, phone number and email address.
Report Wildlife Sightings
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is continually seeking reports of several different wildlife species within Ohio. Wildlife species that can be reported anytime are gray foxes, river otters, black bears, and other furbearers, including fishers, badgers, weasels, and bobcats, as well as other wildlife species found on the wildlife reporting system webpage.
These reports assist wildlife biologists and the Ohio Division of Wildlife in tracking wildlife populations.
Reports can be submitted to the Wildlife Reporting System at wildohio.gov and on the HuntFish OH mobile app.
Please contact your County Wildlife Officer to submit river otter and gray fox carcasses. Submitted carcasses can be from harvests or roadkill, although it is not permitted to collect roadkill carcasses. One can report the location of roadkill to their local wildlife officer.
More information on individual wildlife species in Ohio can be found at the Ohio Division of Wildlife online Species Guide.
Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership
The Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) Program is a way for Ohio hunters to get access to private properties. This program is funded in part by the federal Farm Bill under their Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) to implement programs encouraging hunting access on private properties. The OLHAP program is administered by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and uses funds to pay landowners for hunters to access their property. Participating landowners receive annual payment rates of $2.00/acre for agricultural lands and $30.00/acre for perennial wildlife cover, such as wetlands, grasslands, brushlands, and forest. Enrollment contracts are for 2 years, with the possibility of reenrollment. If you are a landowner interested in finding out more about the program or wishing to enroll your property or a hunter interested in finding hunting property, visit the Ohio Landowner/Hunter Access Partnership Program page to find out more.
You can also call our office for more information.
Public Notice:
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The Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District's Board of Supervisors will meet for their monthly meeting on the first Friday of every month, unless otherwise stated, at 8:00 AM at the USDA Service Center, 12167A State Route 104, Lucasville, Ohio. The Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District strives to work with local landowners, residents, businesses, organizations, and units of government in providing a partnership effort to help conserve, maintain, and improve Scioto County's natural resources. Anyone interested in conservation practices can find more on the District website at www.sciotoswcd.org or call the District office at 740-259-9241 ext. 4. The District was formed in 1946 as a legally organized subdivision of the State of Ohio that is governed by a volunteer Board of Supervisors elected by Scioto County residents. The 2026 Supervisors are Thomas Turner, Wheelersburg; James L. Pertuset, Portsmouth; Travis Garrett, Lucasville; David Otworth, Franklin Furnace; Kim Baker, Otway. Meetings are open to the public and the media. If you would like to receive notices about special meetings, meeting topics or time and date changes for regular meetings, please contact the District's Program Administrator.
Scioto SWCD 2026 Regular Board Meeting Dates
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January 9
February 6
March 6
April 3
May 8
June 5
July 10
August 7
September 4
October 2
November 6
December 4
Scioto SWCD
12167A State Route 104
Lucasville OH 45648
740-259-9231 Ext. 4
info@sciotoswcd.org
Scioto County Local Foods Guide
Scioto SWCD has compiled a local food and resource guide highlighting local food producers and local businesses where locally produced foods can be found. If you are a local, small farm or business producing or offering foods for public sale and would like to be added to the guide please send your information to info@sciotoswcd.org or call our office at
740-259-9231 ext. 4 and we will add you to the guide. This guide is a work in progress and hopefully the list of local food sources will be expanded so check back for further updates. The guide can be found on the Links page accessed at the top of this page.