August 2026

Table of Contents

• Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program
• Nutrient Management Updates
• DATCP Drainage Program
• Soil Health
• Land and Water Conservation Board - LWMR Plans
• Farmland Preservation (FP) and Agricultural Enterprise Areas (AEAs)
• Soil and Water Resource Management (SWRM) Grants
• Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP)
• Conservation Engineering
• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
• Agricultural Impact Statements (AIS) Program
• Cover Crop Insurance Premium Rebate Program

• The 2027 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant application period is now open. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on September 15, 2026.  Please refer to the 2027 Request for Proposals for guidance on funding priorities, eligible projects, application information, and grant submission and administration. The RFP and grant application can be found on the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants webpage under “2027 Application Period.”     
  
  
• Producer-Led Grant Webinar Series: Part 2 Applying for the Producer-Led Grant
  This webinar will be held on August 12 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. During the webinar, we will discuss program and application resources available, application form changes, priorities, updates on reporting and reimbursement processes, and dedicate time for open question and answer. To join, visit: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/275819243385021?p=xyg4g6orsXUyVlOykQ.
  

• SnapPlus V3 Summer Webinar Series: Each webinar will run from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the following dates:
  
  • August 18: Grazing 

More information can be found on the SnapPlus Version 3: Webinar Training Series – Crops and Soils webpage.

• 2026 Nutrient Management Regional Meetings have been scheduled. Five meetings will be held throughout the state. More information can be found on DATCP’s Nutrient Management Trainings webpage. Register to attend on the Wisconsin Land + Water website.

• The Wisconsin Association of County Drainage Boards (WACDB), in cooperation with DATCP, has scheduled five educational outreach meetings – four remain. All meetings will be held from 1-4 p.m. Invitations will be sent out to all drainage boards, county zoning administrators, county treasurers, and county land conservation departments in the next couple of weeks. If you have a topic that you would like to discuss or would like to be included on the WACDB contact list, please contact Richard Gumz, WACDB Chair, at richard@gumzfarmsllc.com; or Nancy Christensen, WACDB Administrative Assistant, at christnjc@hotmail.com. 
  
  
  • Portage County
    Tuesday, August 25, 2026
    Buena Vista Town Hall
    6684 County Road BB, Bancroft
    
    
  • Winnebago County
    Tuesday, September 22, 2026
    Winchester Town Hall
    8522 Park Way, Larsen
    
    
  • Dodge County
    Wednesday, October 14, 2026
    Dodge Administration Building
    First Floor Auditorium
    27 East Oak St., Juneau
    
    
  • Annual WACDB Meeting
    Monday, November 9, 2026
    Portage Best Western
    2701 S. CX, Portage
    
    
• Please note that Wisconsin law requires that the board file a separate report, for the preceding fiscal year, on each drainage district under the board's jurisdiction. The report(s) must be filed with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; the town board or town zoning committee; the city council, plan commission, or plan committee; and the county zoning administrator, in which district territory is located. Unless the board selects a different fiscal year and notifies DATCP of the selection, the board's fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends the following year on August 31. If you have any questions please contact Bart Chapman, State Drainage Program Manager, at 
  barton.chapman@wisconsin.gov or (608) 216-6433.

• Soil Health Community of Practice: DATCP is planning to launch a Soil Health Community of Practice on Wednesday September 16 at 10 a.m. This meeting will be held virtually. A community of practice is a group of people who share a passion, concern, or set of problems, and who interact regularly to learn how to do things better. These groups focus on collective learning and knowledge sharing. Contact Randy Zogbaum at randalll.zogbaum@wisconsin.gov if you have any feedback to share and/or would be interested in participating.
  
  
• Soil Health Field Days/Training: Randy Zogbaum can provide or help develop training at any length or format for the summer field season. Below are three suggested learning objectives for soil health trainings. Email Randy at randalll.zogbaum@wisconsin.gov if you’d like to discuss soil health. 
  • Learning objective 1is to discuss what soil health is (and isn't) by defining some basic vocabulary and concepts. 
  • Learning objective 2 is to demonstrate how to assess and monitor changes and improvements in soil health on Wisconsin Farms. 
  • Learning objective 3 is to demonstrate how soil health systems can be implemented on Wisconsin farms.

• The next meeting of the Land and Water Conservation Board will be October 6. That meeting will include five-year reviews from Green and Waushara counties, plan revisions from Dunn and Shawano counties, and the final allocation plan. 

• Landowners with farmland located in a designated AEA who are interested in applying for a Farmland Preservation Agreement are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Farmland Preservation Agreement applications (new and re-enrollments) that are submitted to the department by Thursday, October 1, 2026 will be prioritized for processing for 2026 tax credit eligibility. We will continue to process agreements throughout the end of the year, but agreements submitted to us after October 1 may not be processed (drafted and sent to the landowner for signature) before the end of the taxable year.  
  
  As you work with landowners this field season, encourage them to apply early so they can claim the tax credit for 2026. Completed agreement applications should be submitted to DATCPWorkingLands@wisconsin.gov.
  
  
• Those counties, towns, cities, and villages with expiring farmland preservation plans or farmland preservation zoning ordinances should submit recertification application materials by October 1.

• The Change Order Form was updated to minimize follow-up inquiries when 
  submitting reimbursement requests. Please download and replace previous documents and/or links. Please submit the change orders with your reimbursement requests as applicable: Cost-Share Contract Change Order June 2026.
  
  
• Reimbursement Request Form now includes the ability to add the recording fee as a standalone cost if needed: SWRM Grant Resources: Section 3.
  
  
• Guidance in the 2.2 Cost Share Funding Source Table now includes necessary documents and other funding guidance: SWRM Grant Resources: Section 2. 
  
  
• Review other updated policies and procedures or example reimbursement requests.

• The RFP for 2027-2028 projects will be available mid-October. If you have a project idea, contact the NOPP team to discuss prior to applying: Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Grant Program.

• Thank you to the 37 counties who completed our Strategic Planning Survey. Your responses will help us shape the assistance we provide and our priorities as we complete our strategic planning process.
  
  
• Thank you to the 69 individuals that completed our Services survey. This helps us understand how we are doing and where we can make improvements.

• DATCP will not have a CREP intern this summer to assist with CREP easement monitoring, so we are depending on counties to help out. We will be sending out further information and encourage you to contact us with questions.

• The AIS program published AIS 4675 for the Ozaukee County Distribution Interconnection Project in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Washington counties, WI.
  
  
• You can find more information about the AIS program at agimpact.wi.gov. You can also contact DATCPAgImpactStatements@wi.gov with questions regarding any active AIS statement or the AIS program.

• 2025-2026 verified land units and eligible applicants will be credited by USDA-RMA on their 2026  crop insurance bill. Further program information is available at covercroprebate.wi.gov.

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