How to Get the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP)
Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District · Foothills / Rutherford County, NC
What you get
The statewide North Carolina Community Conservation Assistance Program delivered through Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District. Homeowners can be reimbursed up to 75% of a pre-established average cost for an approved practice, including backyard rain gardens, bioretention areas, critical area planting, and riparian buffers, with a 25% homeowner match. Each practice carries its own cost cap set by the statewide program. Sites must be non-agricultural and developed for three years or more (Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District; reimbursement rate per the statewide NC Department of Agriculture CCAP page, ncagr.gov; last verified August 2026).
- Residential: Up to 75% cost share
Are you eligible?
- Be a Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Rutherfordton, Forest City, Spindale, Lake Lure
- Non-agricultural developed property in the district service area
- Site developed for three years or more
- Eligible CCAP practice such as a backyard rain garden, bioretention area, or critical area planting
- Application to the district and approval before installation
- Applicant 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 application checklist
How to apply for the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP)
These are the steps this application actually takes.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Rutherford 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 Rutherford Soil & Water Conservation District the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
Get help applying
Want a hand with the application?
A 30-minute call with Stephen, the founder. He reads the Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) rules with you, tells you what to photograph and file first, and answers anything this page does not cover.
Confirm your project ZIP first. If this program does not serve your address, do not buy; check your city or utility on the rebates page instead.
One-time $29.99. Guidance, not filing: you submit to the program yourself. Not legal or financial advice. Rebate amounts and approval are decided by the program.
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.
What people report after they apply
We ask people who filed Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) whether it was approved, what they were paid, and how many days it took. A public payout time appears here only after 5 reports include a day count. Your dollar amount is stored and is not published on this page.