Farm field border program intended to benefit wildlife

Landowners can now profit from helping Washington’s upland birds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) applications to establish habitat-providing field borders. In return for creating habitat, private landowners can receive annual rental payments on the land for ten years.

“Most of the land in Washington is privately owned. Maintaining habitat for wildlife depends on the voluntary efforts of private landowners,” said Melissa Michael, County Executive Director for the FSA. “We are authorized to enroll 5,000 acres into the program in Washington,” she added.

Signup for the program is year round and is non-competitive, unlike the general CRP application process. At county FSA offices, offers will be accepted in the order they are received so long as acreage is available. Enrollment is limited to cropland with annual cropping history during 2002-2007, or expiring CRP acres.

As with general CRP, landowners enter into a 10-year contract and receive annual rental payments. Payments are based on soil productivity and vary by county. Signing incentive payments equal to $150/acre are paid at the time of contract approval. In addition, the FSA covers 90 percent of the cost to establish the vegetation required for the habitat.

According to Michael, bird species that could benefit from field borders include gamebirds such as chukar and ring-necked pheasant; songbirds such as meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows; sage-grouse and sharp-tailed grouse. Species presence is expected to vary depending on rainfall zone and proximity to existing habitat.

“Landowners may also experience non-financial benefits,” said Michael. “Field borders can buffer adjacent areas from farming activity in the enclosed crop field.”

Interested landowners may contact the FSA office to learn more about field border uses and restrictions and to inquire about enrolling land in a CRP field border. Additional information about FSA programs is also available online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/wa.