The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board has approved seven grants that will permanently protect some of Oregon’s most important farm and ranch lands.

The awards are the first round of funding from the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program which protects Oregon’s farm and ranch lands from fragmentation and conversion.

Created by the Oregon Legislature in 2017, the OAHP was funded in 2022 with $5 million in general funds. The program funds land conservation through voluntary conservation easements and the execution of management plans that support fish and wildlife habitat on farm and ranch lands.