Landowner Grants

In an effort to ‘share in the responsibility’ of a clean and healthy environment, ERCA has a comprehensive Clean Water – Green Spaces program aimed at improving regional water quality and enhancing natural areas and biodiversity. Grants of up to 90% of project costs are available to qualifying landowners to implement projects which will help improve local water quality, reduce soil erosion, and increase natural areas cover. Further details are included in the table below. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, and will not have any impact on your property rights.

Please be sure to contact the ERCA office before initiating any project for which you wish to apply for a grant. The grant programs provide funding for the projects listed based on the following criteria:

Eligible Projects Grant Rate Maximum Grant Staff Contact (519.779.5209)
Tree Planting – Blocks of up to 5 acres (2 hectares) Up to 75% $5,000 treeorders@erca.org
Tree Planting – Blocks larger than 5 acres (2 hectares) Up to 90% No maximum treeorders@erca.org
Prairie/Meadow Seeding & Tree Planting (minimum 1 acre) Up to 90% No maximum Kathryn Arthur, ext. 303, karthur@erca.org
Wetland Creation – Please inquire regarding eligibility and grant availability TBD No maximum Kathryn Arthur, ext. 303, karthur@erca.org
Agricultural Projects – buffer strips, windbreaks, rock chutes, header tile retrofits, etc. Up to 75% $3,000 Michael Dick, ext. 369, mdick@erca.org
Cover Crops $15/acre 200 acres Michael Dick, ext. 369, mdick@erca.org