Farmers in four mid-Columbia Basin counties will be paid by the federal government to keep dirt on their fields and out of the air.

The $300,000 project focuses on dusty fields near roads, school-bus routes and cities. Conservation districts in Adams, Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties were chosen because of the area’s problems meeting clean air targets.

The conservation districts have put together a plan that could decrease “fugitive” dust blowing off fields. Farmers will apply over the next month for competitive grants of as much as $10,000 a year.

The grants will be paid to as many as a dozen farmers who are willing to share the costs of reducing wind erosion. Conservation managers will help pay for several ways to cut down dust, such as leaving more crop residue, crop rotation measures and wind barriers.

Farmers who use dirt roads that stir up a lot of dust will be encouraged to use binding agents to keep the dirt on the ground.

The new program will pay farmers according to the effectiveness of their conservation measures.