Red River Riparian Project
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Land Owner Assistance
Land Owner Assistance Request Form
The Red River Riparian Project provides both technical and financial assistance to landowners who would like to restore
and/or better manage their riparian areas.Technical assistance ranges from writing forest resource management (FRM) plans
to designing streambank stabilizations
FRM planning is completed by the North Dakota Forest Service Riparian Foresters at no charge to the landowner.
If this assistance is requested, NDFS staff will come out to the property and assess the current condition of the
riparian forest as well as the condition of the river, river banks, or lakeshore. The completed FRM plan will identify
any forest health issues and make recommendations for addressing those issues and improving the general forest health.
The plan may also outline ways the landowner can encourage wildlife, provide information on tree pests and diseases, and
include preliminary designs for restoration planting. These services can be requested by contacting the Riparian Project
or the North Dakota Forest Service.
Assistance is also provided through the RRBRP to assess the condition of eroding or failing riverbanks and identify
potential solutions. If requested, project staff will meet with landowners or groups of landowners to survey erosion
problems. With the staff's long-experience with streamside issues in the Red River Valley, they can offer insight to the
causes of the erosion, potential actions that could be taken to slow the erosion, and provide general cost-estimates. If the
landowner would like to implement any of the suggested strategies, project staff will work with engineers, landscape architects,
or other natural resource professionals to develop stabilization and restoration plans. The initial assessment by Riparian Project
personnel is a free service provided to the landowner, however, detailed design work and implementation may require up to 40% cost-share
from the landowner.
In addition to the technical assistance, the Riparian Project also offers landowners financial assistance for planned
restoration and stabilization activities. As much as 60% cost-share is provided by the RRBRP for landowners to implement
eligible practices. Forty percent of the cost must be provided locally either by the landowner or by a partnering agency
such as a North Dakota State agency, county board, or even a non-profit organization. In-kind activities performed by the
landowner or local entity are also eligible as part, or the entire 40% local share.