Toole County, population 4,900, lies along the Canadian border on the northern plains east of Glacier County and the Rocky Mountains. The Marias River which runs from west to east in the southern part of the county, is the only officially designated perennial stream in Toole county. Though precipitation varies widely within Toole county, much of the county in the 10-12” per year precipitation range. Approximately 88% of the land is privately owned.
Agriculture is the principle industry in Toole county, and crop sales constitute the bulk of that over livestock sales. The climate is conducive to some of the best small grain production in the nation and wheat is a mainstay crop for the county. A majority of the acreage is dryland. Other crops grown include pulse crops canola, flax, mustard, occasional safflower, and corn. While cattle are the main livestock today, historically sheep grazing was more common. The NRCS office, located in Shelby, offers voluntary technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in natural resource conservation based on a focused approach using long range planning with local input.
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Toole County Landowners
Producers may apply for statewide programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, national Environmental Quality Incentives Program initiatives, and conservation easement programs. For more information on these and other programs, see State Programs and Initiatives on the NRCS Montana webpage.
Additional Information
Toole County Local Working Group
The Toole County Conservation District is hosting a meeting to gather input from local stakeholders to help prioritize natural resource concerns and guide NRCS funding opportunities.
Montana Focused Conservation
In Montana, NRCS uses a “Focused Conservation” strategy to guide its EQIP investments. Montana Focused Conservation begins with goals identified in local-level Long Range Plans. Based on those plans, NRCS develops Targeted Implementation Plans (TIPs) to guide on-the-ground implementation.
Learn MoreWhat's Available in My Montana County?
Current local financial assistance opportunities in Montana, listed by county. In addition to the local opportunities, producers may also apply for statewide and national programs.
Learn MoreMontana Programs and Application Dates
Program applications are accepted on a continual basis, however, NRCS establishes application ranking dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. Applications received after the ranking date will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.
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