Post by Steve Sutton on Jul 1, 2010 12:04:27 GMT -5
LITTLE ROCK - State Conservationist Mike Sullivan this week announced that USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will work with farmers, ranchers and other landowners to develop and enhance habitat for birds making their annual migration south towards the Gulf of Mexico. Sullivan estimates Arkansas will receive $3.3 million for the initiative.
USDA will use the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), administered by NRCS, and work with partners, both public and private, to provide a variety of habitats to meet the needs of different species. Emphasis will be on creating or enhancing habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, including shallow water, mudflat, and sand flat habitats. Of special interest are agricultural lands that contain wetlands farmed under natural conditions and prior converted croplands. Rice fields are particularly well-suited for this initiative, as are catfish farms.
Under the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, NRCS will partner with producers to manage portions of their land to provide additional food and habitat for migrating birds.
"More than 50 million migratory birds traveling south in coming months will instinctively head toward the marshes and coastlands of the northern Gulf of Mexico," said Sullivan. "With some marshes and shorelines already degraded and the potential for larger-scale oil impacts in the coming months, it is essential that we provide inland and coastal food, water, and cover for migratory birds before they reach the oil-impacted areas."
The initiative encompasses portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. NRCS, in cooperation with its conservation partners, has identified priority areas that offer the greatest habitat potential for migrating bird populations. NRCS anticipates improving habitat on up to 100,000 to 150,000 acres throughout the eight states, based on expected producer participation. Based on prior experience, NRCS hopes to see millions of birds coming to rest and feed in the priority areas.
According to David Long, private lands coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, both financial and technical assistance will be available to landowners to assist with this national effort to give migratory birds improved habitat. "Wildlife conservation practices designed to provide feeding, loafing and resting areas for migratory birds will be offered. NRCS plans to offer payment incentives to landowners agreeing to flood fallowed or abandoned crop fields, abandoned catfish ponds, existing farmed wetlands, and prior converted croplands," Long explained. "Fallow and/or abandoned crop fields can provide the highest value habitat since many of these have existing vegetation containing native foods for waterfowl and other wildlife if only they can be flooded at the proper depths."
"In addition, flooding rice fields could provide valuable winter habitat if we seek out fields not previously flooded for waterfowl in the winter. Rice fields flooded to a shallow depth in August and September will provide crucial late summer habitat for migrating shorebirds," Long says. "The goal is to target rice fields not normally flooded in fall and winter," he added.
Catfish and crayfish ponds that have been abandoned or that could be modified or managed to provide additional habitat are also an important focus, since they can easily be flooded and manipulated, providing exceptional food sources.
The WHIP and EQIP funding will target establishing and providing habitat in the following priority order:
Shallow water (up to 4 inches) and mudflats for migrating shorebirds such as plovers, sandpipers, and yellowlegs from July through October.
Shallow water on moist soils for migrating rails and bitterns as well as early migratory waterfowl like blue-winged teal from August through September.
Open, deep water habitats for overwintering diving ducks like redheads, canvasbacks, and scaup from Nov. 1 through March 1.
Shallow water 6-12 inches on moist soils for dabbling ducks like mallards and pintails from Nov. 1 through March 1.
Shallow water on moist soils for breeding and brood-rearing habitats for resident waterfowl (wood ducks) and marsh birds such as king rails and least bitterns from March 1 through August and September (exact dates for these management practices will be available at NRCS offices). These habitats will be the selection criteria for this special initiative with each priority habitat being ranked against each other.
Karen Rowe, nongame migratory bird program coordinator for the AGFC, explains that marshbirds, such as rails and bitterns are a species of conservation concern in Arkansas and require shallow water in moist soil habitats. "Marshbird habitat is usually scarce during August and September, which are typically our driest months. This new funding will provide the water to create habitat crucial for migrating rails, bitterns and other marsh and emergent wetland dependent bird species," Rowe says. "Migrating shorebirds are extremely dependent upon mudflats and very shallow flooded agricultural fields to fuel them during their long migration. This new initiative can provide mudflat and shallow water habitat in August and September, when migrating shorebirds numbers peak in Arkansas and when their need for foraging habitat in Arkansas is most critical," she said.
NRCS also will be looking at increasing management with landowners with existing wetlands under the Wetland Reserve Program. The WRP priorities will address food needs for species expected to be most impacted by the oil spill that may be available on WRP lands. NRCS will be considering where they can provide habitat management currently not being conducted and or improving the management system on these lands with existing water management capability. NRCS will determine the financial needs and practices they will make available, and work with WRP landowners directly to increase moist soil management of these lands.
Practice activities offered under the initiative that may provide incentive payments may include but not limited to: light disking and flooding abandoned catfish ponds or fallow crop fields; after harvest of crops, re-pull crop levees when needed and catch rainwater and/or pump fields for migratory birds; and pumping up moist soil areas on WRP lands, Long said.
Priority areas in Arkansas are in Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Lonoke, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, White and Woodruff counties.
"We expect there will be great interest from our farmers and ranchers who want to do something positive to help the migrating birds - not only this fall, but next spring and in subsequent years as well," Sullivan said.
USDA will deliver this initiative with the support from partners in Arkansas including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and others.
The signup for the initiative will run from June 28 to Aug. 1. Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center for additional information. More information is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html ( e2ma.net/go/8416484377/2920606/96132588/40081/goto:http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html ).
USDA will use the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), administered by NRCS, and work with partners, both public and private, to provide a variety of habitats to meet the needs of different species. Emphasis will be on creating or enhancing habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, including shallow water, mudflat, and sand flat habitats. Of special interest are agricultural lands that contain wetlands farmed under natural conditions and prior converted croplands. Rice fields are particularly well-suited for this initiative, as are catfish farms.
Under the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, NRCS will partner with producers to manage portions of their land to provide additional food and habitat for migrating birds.
"More than 50 million migratory birds traveling south in coming months will instinctively head toward the marshes and coastlands of the northern Gulf of Mexico," said Sullivan. "With some marshes and shorelines already degraded and the potential for larger-scale oil impacts in the coming months, it is essential that we provide inland and coastal food, water, and cover for migratory birds before they reach the oil-impacted areas."
The initiative encompasses portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. NRCS, in cooperation with its conservation partners, has identified priority areas that offer the greatest habitat potential for migrating bird populations. NRCS anticipates improving habitat on up to 100,000 to 150,000 acres throughout the eight states, based on expected producer participation. Based on prior experience, NRCS hopes to see millions of birds coming to rest and feed in the priority areas.
According to David Long, private lands coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, both financial and technical assistance will be available to landowners to assist with this national effort to give migratory birds improved habitat. "Wildlife conservation practices designed to provide feeding, loafing and resting areas for migratory birds will be offered. NRCS plans to offer payment incentives to landowners agreeing to flood fallowed or abandoned crop fields, abandoned catfish ponds, existing farmed wetlands, and prior converted croplands," Long explained. "Fallow and/or abandoned crop fields can provide the highest value habitat since many of these have existing vegetation containing native foods for waterfowl and other wildlife if only they can be flooded at the proper depths."
"In addition, flooding rice fields could provide valuable winter habitat if we seek out fields not previously flooded for waterfowl in the winter. Rice fields flooded to a shallow depth in August and September will provide crucial late summer habitat for migrating shorebirds," Long says. "The goal is to target rice fields not normally flooded in fall and winter," he added.
Catfish and crayfish ponds that have been abandoned or that could be modified or managed to provide additional habitat are also an important focus, since they can easily be flooded and manipulated, providing exceptional food sources.
The WHIP and EQIP funding will target establishing and providing habitat in the following priority order:
Shallow water (up to 4 inches) and mudflats for migrating shorebirds such as plovers, sandpipers, and yellowlegs from July through October.
Shallow water on moist soils for migrating rails and bitterns as well as early migratory waterfowl like blue-winged teal from August through September.
Open, deep water habitats for overwintering diving ducks like redheads, canvasbacks, and scaup from Nov. 1 through March 1.
Shallow water 6-12 inches on moist soils for dabbling ducks like mallards and pintails from Nov. 1 through March 1.
Shallow water on moist soils for breeding and brood-rearing habitats for resident waterfowl (wood ducks) and marsh birds such as king rails and least bitterns from March 1 through August and September (exact dates for these management practices will be available at NRCS offices). These habitats will be the selection criteria for this special initiative with each priority habitat being ranked against each other.
Karen Rowe, nongame migratory bird program coordinator for the AGFC, explains that marshbirds, such as rails and bitterns are a species of conservation concern in Arkansas and require shallow water in moist soil habitats. "Marshbird habitat is usually scarce during August and September, which are typically our driest months. This new funding will provide the water to create habitat crucial for migrating rails, bitterns and other marsh and emergent wetland dependent bird species," Rowe says. "Migrating shorebirds are extremely dependent upon mudflats and very shallow flooded agricultural fields to fuel them during their long migration. This new initiative can provide mudflat and shallow water habitat in August and September, when migrating shorebirds numbers peak in Arkansas and when their need for foraging habitat in Arkansas is most critical," she said.
NRCS also will be looking at increasing management with landowners with existing wetlands under the Wetland Reserve Program. The WRP priorities will address food needs for species expected to be most impacted by the oil spill that may be available on WRP lands. NRCS will be considering where they can provide habitat management currently not being conducted and or improving the management system on these lands with existing water management capability. NRCS will determine the financial needs and practices they will make available, and work with WRP landowners directly to increase moist soil management of these lands.
Practice activities offered under the initiative that may provide incentive payments may include but not limited to: light disking and flooding abandoned catfish ponds or fallow crop fields; after harvest of crops, re-pull crop levees when needed and catch rainwater and/or pump fields for migratory birds; and pumping up moist soil areas on WRP lands, Long said.
Priority areas in Arkansas are in Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Lonoke, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, White and Woodruff counties.
"We expect there will be great interest from our farmers and ranchers who want to do something positive to help the migrating birds - not only this fall, but next spring and in subsequent years as well," Sullivan said.
USDA will deliver this initiative with the support from partners in Arkansas including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and others.
The signup for the initiative will run from June 28 to Aug. 1. Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center for additional information. More information is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html ( e2ma.net/go/8416484377/2920606/96132588/40081/goto:http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs_migratory_birds.html ).