How to Get the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP)
Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District · Foothills / Catawba County, NC
What you get
The statewide NC Community Conservation Assistance Program delivered through the Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District, whose own page names rain gardens and bio-retention areas as eligible BMPs. Homeowners can be reimbursed up to 75% of the cost of an approved BMP with a 25% homeowner match. Statewide CCAP caps cost share at $35,000 per project (Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District; reimbursement rate per the statewide NC Department of Agriculture CCAP page, ncagr.gov; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: Up to 75% cost share
Are you eligible?
- Be a Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Hickory, Newton, Conover, Claremont
- Property in Catawba County
- Site developed 3+ years and non-agricultural
- Eligible BMP: backyard rain garden, cistern, or bio-retention area
- Homeowner pays a 25% match
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
The county's own page explicitly names cisterns, rain gardens, and bio-retention areas as CCAP-eligible BMPs for residential properties.
What applying usually looks like
A general guide. Always confirm the exact steps on the official program page, since each provider runs its process a little differently.
- 1
Apply and get written approval first
Submit your application to Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District and wait for written approval before you remove any turf or start work. Starting early is the most common reason a rebate is denied.
- 2
Do the conversion
Replace your lawn with the qualifying landscaping, following the eligibility requirements above.
- 3
Submit your claim
After the work is done, submit your claim on the official program page. Confirm the exact forms, receipts, and any photos they require there, since those vary by program.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP)
These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District and take before photos of the existing yard first.
- 3
Do the work
Complete the project, take before and after photos, and save every receipt.
- 4
Submit your application
Send Catawba County Soil & Water Conservation District the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP), warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.