Conservation Solutions for Home and Business Owners
Why do Virginia’s waters need protecting and improving? Rainfall that once soaked into native vegetated ground now falls onto densely packed soil and paved surfaces causing the swift and unnatural movement of natural and human-made pollutants into streams, wetlands, rivers, coastal waters, and ground waters. These pollutants threaten water-based activities, sensitive aquatic life necessary to sustain our native ecosystem, and ultimately human wellbeing.
Virginia’s Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP) for the Chesapeake Bay acknowledges the critical nature of this dangerous flow of sediment and chemicals into our waterways and outlines efforts to stop the problem.
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program is an opportunity to help you do what’s right and what’s needed to support the clean waters we envision.
Our best management practices (BMPs) help you to stop erosion, mitigate flooding, and encourage the well-being of the ecosystem that envelops the places and spaces where you live, work, and love.
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
We want to support you in doing your part, by removing financial barriers that stand in the way of you and beautiful meadow, lush rain gardens, water-diverting rain tanks, and more.
VCAP is a cost-share and technical assistance program available to all homeowners and commercial and public land owners in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Twelve conservation best practices are available within the program to help landowners manage the unique and problematic features of their property.
Cost-share is subject to an application and approval process, and if awarded is provided at either a flat rate per practice or a percentage of the total project costs.
Intrigued?
Contact Emily Hagerott, District Conservation Specialist, at ehagerott@hswcd.org
VCAP practices we seek to support.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rain Gardens
Permeable Paving
Conservation Landscaping
Impervious Surface Removal
Dry Wells
Green Roofs
Infiltration Basins
Constructed Wetlands
Rainwater Harvesting Rain Gardens Permeable Paving Conservation Landscaping Impervious Surface Removal Dry Wells Green Roofs Infiltration Basins Constructed Wetlands
FAQs
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Treat stormwater runoff
Control & mitigate erosion
Stabilize drainage areas
Promote wildlife habitat
Revegetate bare slopes
Improve riparian buffer areas
Conserve water within a landscape
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Homeowners who plan to move in 5-10 years, program depending
Those experiencing major structural flooding
Sites located in floodplain zones
Any state or federally owned land
New development sites that need to meet local, state, or federal stormwater mandates
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No! The VCAP process is detailed, but not complicated. And a Henricopolis SWCD team member is there to guide the journey. Here's how it goes:
Fill out the Henricopolis SWCD VCAP intake form.
Reach out to your local soil & water conservation district and express interest.
The SWCD VCAP specialist will schedule a site visit to explore your property.
You or your contractor will design a plan for your best practice. It will include items like materials, installation, function, and maintenance.
Your local SWCD Board & the state VCAP Steering Committee will review your application and approve or request adjustments to your project.
Installation begins within 90 days of approval and is complete by June 1st of the following year.
SWCD will verify the practice was installed in accordance with the approved plan, and will issue payment.
Practices have a required maintenance lifespan of either 5 or 10 years.
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Most projects can receive cost-share for up to 80% of the entire project cost!
Becky, Henrico Resident in the Varina District
“I have 1,100 gallons of rain tanks, one meadow, and one rain garden on my riverside property thanks to the VCAP program and the incredible expertise within Henricopolis.”
Sean, Henrico Resident in the Fairfield District
"My VCAP project has taken off and can handle all the rainwater we receive and provides a nice screen and food for birds and pollinators."
Melinda, Henrico Resident in the Tuckahoe District
"We most likely would not have done the project without the grant; it was inspirational to us and it inspired us to do future projects with or without funding to continue erosion control efforts."
Don’t miss our annual tree seedling giveway!
Henricopolis partners with The Department of Forestry to give away thousands of native tree seedlings at area parks and libraries, usually in conjunction with Earth Day festivities on April 12th, 2025!
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