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LIVING SNOW FENCE & WINDBREAK COST SHARE

LRCD offers a cost-share program on installing Living Snow Fences which are installed throughout Albany County every Spring.

Living Snow Fences are often used to conserve energy by providing protection from the wind, increase wildlife habitat, and manage snow drifts. LRCD assists landowners with designing, installing and maintaining living snow fences and windbreaks. 

LRCD is willing to cost-share 50% of the total costs (up to $1,000) on living snow fence projects approved by the Board. Apart from financial assistance, the District also offers technical assistance on general maintenance, watering schedules, weed control, and handling pest or disease damage to trees and shrubs.

Some FAQs: 

Who is eligible? Any landowner with at least 5 acres, structures already built, and a viable water source on site is eligible for financial assistance through our cost share program. Staff will provide free technical assistance in designs or layout questions to anyone though!

What's the first step?  Call Holly to set up an initial site visit. Some properties will not be compatible for our living snow fence program due to utility placement, spacing constraints, etc. A site visit with LRCD staff is the first step to pursue a living snow fence on your property to make sure your goals align with the program's objectives!

Am I paid the money upfront?  No. LRCD will send you an invoice for the entire project once it is completed. Once you pay the bill in full, LRCD will issue a reimbursement for 50% of the actual cost, up to the approved amount on the initial application.

How many projects does LRCD do every year?  LRCD is limited with the number of projects they can do each year due to staffing and growing season. Therefore, LRCD typically plants between 6-10 living snow fences each year, always in the month of May. Because this program is so popular and LRCD is limited with how many that can get done, this program is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and may have a waitlist.

For general inquiries on the cost share program or other technical assistance requests, please call Holly at 307-223-3270 OR send her an email: holly.dyer@lrcd.net.

Download the most current application here:
LSF CS application_19Jul2024.pdf

 

A person walking through a sparse field with young plants, mountains in the background.
A field with a row covered in plastic sheeting and a drip irrigation system running along it.
Three people are smiling and planting trees in a field with rows of landscape fabric.
A person driving a green tractor in a vast, open, mountainous landscape under a clear blue sky.
Bundles of bare-rooted plants and cuttings placed on a blue surface, next to a blue container.
Person using a gardening tool on a covered field, with a clear sky and rural landscape in the background.
A pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer with a green tractor on it parked on grass.
Two people standing in a field with young plants, black plastic mulch, and mountains in the background.
A tractor is laying down plastic coverings on farm rows in an open field under a blue sky.
A house under construction in a dry, grassy field, with a dirt road, fence, and parked white truck.
A person walking through a sparse field with young plants, mountains in the background.
A field with a row covered in plastic sheeting and a drip irrigation system running along it.
Three people are smiling and planting trees in a field with rows of landscape fabric.
A person driving a green tractor in a vast, open, mountainous landscape under a clear blue sky.
Bundles of bare-rooted plants and cuttings placed on a blue surface, next to a blue container.
Person using a gardening tool on a covered field, with a clear sky and rural landscape in the background.
A pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer with a green tractor on it parked on grass.
Two people standing in a field with young plants, black plastic mulch, and mountains in the background.
A tractor is laying down plastic coverings on farm rows in an open field under a blue sky.
A house under construction in a dry, grassy field, with a dirt road, fence, and parked white truck.
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 Living snow fences and windbreaks provide many benefits for Albany County landowners. These living barriers consist of a linear planting of multiple rows of trees and shrubs and can protect roads from drifting snow, provide wildlife habit, provide winter protection for livestock, and improve landscape aesthetics and can capture up to 12X more snow than a slatted wooden fence and are much cheaper to install. 

For more information on recommended trees for the Laramie area, check out this list!

 

 

 

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