Columbia, Mo. — Pheasants and Quail Forever is encouraging agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts, including wildlife habitat, to consider applying for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). CSP is a federal program that helps private landowners maintain working lands while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation; applications for this funding period are due by May 10, 2019.
Jake Swafford, Coordinating Wildlife Biologist, said the Conservation Stewardship Program administered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help landowners establish wildlife habitat that benefits quail, pheasants, and other wildlife while also improving their operations bottom line.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat – all while maintaining active agriculture production on their land. CSP also encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new management techniques such as precision agriculture applications, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate, and new soil amendments to improve water quality.
“CSP was very popular program last year, with a lot of interest in pollinators, especially monarch butterflies. I hope producers take some time to look at how wildlife could fit into their operations,” Swafford said. “There are many benefits wildlife habitat can provide, from increased crop yields to lowering input costs.”
NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis, but only applications filed by May 10 are eligible for the next round of funding through the Conservation Stewardship Program.
About Quail Forever
Quail Forever is a leading organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation efforts for the United States’ native quail species. Since its creation in 2005, Quail Forever has conducted more than 8,500 habitat projects across the nation benefitting quail and other wildlife. Along with its affiliate organization Pheasants Forever, it has committed more than $867 million to improve more than 18+ million acres of wildlife habitat. Quail Forever has more than 17,000 members and 170 local chapters across the country. Both Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever are part of Pheasants Forever, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
For more information about any NRCS programs, please check with your local USDA field office, or contact Erin Forsythe at 417-358-8198 or email at eforsythe@quailforever.org for more information about wildlife habitat assistance.
