The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Virginia’s participating Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs). These practices can be installed in areas of your yard where problems like erosion, poor drainage, or poor vegetation occur. Qualified sites shall be used for residential, commercial, or recreational purposes with a proposed practice that addresses a need. VCAP is a retrofit program and as such any homes or other structures on a property must be at least three years old before the landowner is eligible to apply for BMP assistance.
Other Considerations
All reimbursements are considered taxable income, so participants will receive a 1099 form following any reimbursement.
All approved practices require a ten-year lifespan, meaning that applicants must maintain the BMP appropriately for ten years.
Eligible Practices
Rain Gardens
Conservation Landscaping
Impervious Surface Removal
Permeable Pavement Installation
Dry Wells
Rainwater Harvesting
Vegetated Conveyance System
Constructed Wetlands
Bioretention
Infiltration
Green Roofs
Living Shorelines
To learn more, contact the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District’s Urban Conservationist, Robyn Woolsey, at robyn.woolsey@colonialswcd.net to learn more.