“Welcome to the Club”: Unpacking Administrative Burdens in Conservation Incentive Programs Supporting Natural Flood Resilience

Abstract As increased flooding has led to disrupted landscapes and diminished water quality for rural communities, more frequent major storm events present an increasing threat to landowners. Nature‐based solutions (NBS) offer viable approaches to enhancing flood resilience for farm and forest owners in North Carolina. Financial incentive programs can be utilized to offset the cost of implementing NBS, yet the literature demonstrates that participation in financial incentive programs is subpar. This exploratory study employs a qualitative approach to assess landowner participation in conservation and disaster resilience programs through the lens of Administrative Burden Theory. Utilizing focus groups with landowners in North Carolina's inner coastal plain to reveal landowner values and perceptions, this research identifies key barriers to participation as well as potential solutions for improvement. Findings demonstrate landowner perceptions of cost‐share programs to be more negative than positive, with barriers such as daily constraints, program complexity, and discouraging technical assistance as factors causing landowner dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, landowners demonstrated strong conservation values and a desire to manage their land accordingly, with NBS an appropriate application for disaster resilience. Additionally, focus groups revealed potential solutions such as a cost‐share navigation tool, opportunities for landowner engagement, and improved support for the technical assistance administering programs.