Conservation
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CONSERVATION UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET January 2017 State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Approved Projects - Conservation Reserve Program OVERVIEW approved in 2008. To date, about 1.45 million acres are enrolled nationwide in 106 CRP SAFE projects The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) available in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, part of PROPOSING A CRP SAFE PROJECT the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), is an initiative to improve wildlife habitat. This fact Wildlife needs and conservation priorities sheet provides background on the initiative and a vary across geographic and ecological regions. brief summary of each SAFE project. Conservation groups, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, biologists, farmers, CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM ranchers and others have first-hand knowledge and experience to help address the needs of CRP is a voluntary program that contracts with particular species in an area. These organizations agricultural producers so that environmentally may develop CRP SAFE project area proposals sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or that identify ‘high-priority’ wildlife species that ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits. may be threatened or endangered, suffering CRP participants establish long-term, resource- population declines or that provide value to the conserving plant species, such as approved grasses local community. CRP SAFE encourages proposals or trees (known as “covers”), to control soil erosion that provide multiple environmental benefits in and improve water quality. In return, FSA provides a targeted region and address habitat resource participants with rental payments and cost-share concern for a variety of ‘high-priority’ wildlife assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and species. 15 years. CRP SAFE project proposals are reviewed by Under CRP continuous (ongoing) enrollment FSA at the state level by an interdisciplinary team authority, environmentally sensitive land devoted (Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to certain conservation practices may be enrolled in State Technical Committee). The team reviews CRP at any time. More information on CRP can be the technical merits and benefits of each proposal, found at www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. as well as the potential to achieve the objectives of the program. If the proposal is supported by STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE the state team, it is then reviewed by qualified ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) conservation professionals at FSA to determine if the project should be approved and incorporated SAFE is a flexible, results-oriented, locally led into the program. initiative that creates a continuous CRP enrollment opportunity for producers to address wildlife ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING CRP habitat resource concerns for specific species in SAFE PRACTICES a targeted region. Eligible producers can submit offers to enroll eligible land within a CRP SAFE Producers who enroll acres in CRP SAFE will project area in CRP contracts for 10 to 15 years. convert eligible cropland to beneficial habitat for In exchange, these producers receive annual the targeted wildlife species. CRP SAFE projects CRP rental payments, incentives and cost-share have specific requirements and participants work assistance to establish conservation cover that with NRCS to develop a conservation plan for improves or creates wildlife habitat for specific establishment, maintenance and management of the species. The first CRP SAFE projects were conservation cover. All CRP practices, including Page 1 FACT SHEET SAFE Approved Projects - CRP January 2017 CRP SAFE, must be managed during the life of the on Arkansas’ list of greatest conservation concern contract. Fishing and hunting are allowed on CRP in the State Wildlife Action Plan will potentially land, including SAFE; certain restrictions apply. benefit from this SAFE. FOR MORE INFORMATION Colorado Producers can offer land for approved SAFE Colorado Lesser Prairie Chicken SAFE areas by contacting their local FSA county office. The goal of the Colorado Lesser Prairie Chicken For more information about CRP, visit SAFE project is to restore and enhance short and www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. For more information on midgrass sand sagebrush prairie to maintain and FSA conservation programs, visit enhance lesser prairie chicken populations in www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation or contact your Colorado. local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visithttp://offices.usda.gov . Colorado Plains Sharp-Tailed Grouse SAFE The goal of the Colorado Plains Sharp-Tailed APPROVED CRP SAFE PROJECTS Grouse SAFE project is to improve nesting and brood-rearing cover for plains sharp-tailed grouse Alabama populations in northern Colorado through the re- enrollment and enhancement of existing grassland Alabama Black Belt Prairie Restoration SAFE habitat in CRP that serve as critical habitat for the The goal of the Alabama Black Belt Prairie bird’s population in the state. Restoration SAFE project is to improve native grassland habitats for rare, threatened, endangered Colorado Shortgrass Prairie SAFE and declining species that are dependent on native The goal of the Colorado Shortgrass Prairie SAFE prairie communities found within the Black Belt project is to preserve the integrity and expand the Prairie region of Alabama. extent of shortgrass prairie managed for wildlife species in eastern Colorado. Arkansas Colorado Western Slope Grouse SAFE Arkansas Wetlands SAFE The goal of the Colorado Western Slope Grouse The goal of the Arkansas Wetlands SAFE project SAFE project is to restore and enhance habitat for is to benefit featured species including bald eagle, the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, greater sage American black bear, American black duck and grouse and Gunnison sage-grouse. the Mississippi kite. In addition, many species on Arkansas’ list of greatest conservation concern in Colorado Upland Bird SAFE the State Wildlife Action Plan, including habitat The goal of the Colorado Upland Bird SAFE needs related to the ivory-billed woodpecker, will project is to establish and maintain habitat that will benefit from this habitat restoration. support upland bird species, including grasshopper sparrow, rink-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail Arkansas Trees SAFE and greater prairie chicken in Sedgwick, Phillips, The goal of the Arkansas Trees SAFE project is to Logan, Morgan, Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson restore trees, primarily hardwoods, to create habitat counties. that will benefit the following species: American woodcock, swallow-tailed kite, bald eagle and Georgia American black bear. Georgia Restoring Native Pine Savanna SAFE Arkansas Grass SAFE The goal of the Georgia Restoring Native Pine The goal of the Arkansas Grass SAFE project is to Savanna SAFE project is to establish and maintain restore early successional habitat that will benefit pine savanna habitat for northern bobwhite and bobwhite quail. In addition, another 53 species other species that depend on native groundcover (grass/forb/shrub) and are in decline. Page 2 FACT SHEET SAFE Approved Projects - CRP January 2017 Idaho Indiana Idaho Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse SAFE Indiana American Woodcock SAFE The goal of the Idaho Columbian Sharp-Tailed The goal of the Indiana American Woodcock Grouse SAFE project is to increase quality SAFE project is to restore grassland and shrubland grassland, shrub steppe, mountain brush and complexes as nesting, brood-rearing and riparian habitat for the Columbian sharp-tailed migratory habitat for American Woodcock, whose grouse. populations are at risk and have suffered significant population declines. Western Idaho Upland Game Bird SAFE The goal of the Western Idaho Upland Game Indiana Bat SAFE Bird SAFE project is to improve habitat for ring- The goal of the Indiana Bat SAFE project is to necked pheasant, gray cartridge, California quail, restore forest habitat and forested riparian habitat Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and sage grouse for the Indiana bat which occurs throughout the by establishing shrubs, grasses, forbs and legumes state and is a federally listed endangered species. on cropland throughout the SAFE project area to provide nesting, brood-rearing and wintering cover. Indiana Northern Bobwhite SAFE The goal of the Indiana Northern Bobwhite SAFE Illinois project is to restore grassland and shrubland habitats for the northern bobwhite quail. This Illinois Mercer County Pheasant SAFE species has declined significantly throughout the The goal of the Illinois Mercer County Pheasant state, as well as the Midwest, and is of significant SAFE project is to increase pheasant habitat social and economic value to the people of Indiana. within the county by enrolling land in CRP. The project emphasizes the establishment of permanent Indiana Henslow’s Sparrow SAFE native grasses and forbs that also will benefit other The goal of the Indiana Henslow’s Sparrow species of upland wildlife. SAFE project is to restore grassland habitat for the Henslow’s sparrow which is at risk and has Illinois Prairie Habitat SAFE suffered significant declines throughout the state The goal of the Illinois Prairie Habitat SAFE and Midwest. More specifically, the project will project is to restore grassland and wetland habitats restore grassland habitat and maintain the cover in in upland landscapes occupied by tallgrass prairie a diversity of successional stages and vegetation and herbaceous wetlands. The project