Cheyenne County Conservation District

Our mission is to promote the stewardship and sustainability of natural resources for future generations in Cheyenne County. We are proud to serve the residents, producers, and landowners of Cheyenne County, Kansas.

The Conservation District offers many services and opportunities including state cost-share funding for conservation practices, technical assistance from the District and local NRCS staff on all conservation projects, educational programs, field days, scholarships, and newsletters. Products for sale: trees, shrubs, drip irrigation supplies, fabric weed barrier, tree shelters, marking flags, slow-release tree fertilizer tablets, and deer repellent sticks.

We hope you find this site helpful and informative. Please contact our office with questions or comments. We are happy to assist you.

USDA-NRCS Announces Financial Assistance for Cheyenne County Landowners and Operators Along the South Fork Republican River

SALINA, KANSAS, January 23, 2026 ‒ Chad Volkman, Acting Kansas State Conservationist, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced producers in the South Fork Republican River (SFRR) watershed in Cheynne County are eligible to receive financial assistance under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The project is funded through a USDA regional program which is locally led by the Cheyenne County Conservation District and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. RCPP-SFRR will provide funding to landowners in the watershed to address plant pest pressure, groundwater depletion and water quality issues and will utilize the ACT NOW funding process for fiscal year (FY) 2026.

"The resource concerns can be addressed by implementing brush management, specifically by removing Russian olive, salt cedar, and eastern red cedar trees from rangeland along the river.," said Volkman. "This RCPP project can also offer funding for alternative water sources for livestock, prescribed grazing, and other practices as needed to achieve these goals."

Applications for RCPP-SFRR are accepted year-round, and by following the ACT NOW funding process, applications can be preapproved for funding as soon as NRCS staff completes the application ranking and review. This facilitates a quicker turn-around to enter a contract for participants.

The final date to apply for FY 2026 funding is Thursday, July 2, 2026. Applications received prior to the deadline will be planned, assessed, ranked, and submitted in the order received. These applications will be pre-approved based on fund availability and if a ranking score above the threshold level has been met. The threshold score for this batching period will be zero points. Applications received after the deadline will be batched and considered in the next batching period.

"The ACT NOW funding process will allow applicants with high-ranking scores to avoid the long processing time typically associated with conservation programs," said Volkman. "This will enable interested and qualified applicants to begin implementing the needed conservation practices sooner and reduce the wait time to receive an obligated contract."

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you do not have an account, sign up today.

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center (https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator). Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account (https://www.farmers.gov/account). If you do not have an account, sign up today.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit ww.usda.gov