State Acres For wildlife Enhancement
State Acres For wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) projects are available through USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) service centers as part of the ongoing continuous sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
CRP's SAFE Practice Acre Totals by State (11/3/08)
Arkansas Grass SAFE
The goal of the Arkansas Grass SAFE project is to enroll 3,700 acres in CRP to restore early successional habitat that will benefit bobwhite quail as the focused species. In addition, another 53 species on Arkansas' list of greatest conservation concern in the State Wildlife Action Plan will potentially benefit from this SAFE. Many songbird species, such as grasshopper sparrows, painted buntings, dickcissels and Henslow's sparrows will benefit from this SAFE. This project will also provide recreational opportunities to include hunting, hiking, wildlife photography, bird watching and nature viewing.
Georgia Restoring Native Pine Savanna SAFE
The goal of the Georgia Restoring Native Pine Savanna SAFE is to establish and maintain 4,800 acres of pine savanna habitat for northern bobwhite and other species that depend on native groundcover (grass/forb/shrub) and are in decline. The project seeks to enroll 4,800 acres in CRP. Open canopy pine forests with diverse native groundcover characterize this habitat type. Periodic prescribed burning coupled with pine forest thinning mimics the natural ecosystem processes of this landscape to create and maintain pine savanna habitat. Without thinning, tree canopies close and shade-out ground cover. Without periodic prescribed burning, fire-intolerant plant species invade and out-compete natural early successional plants.
Illinois Sangamon SAFE
The goal of the Illinois Sangamon SAFE project is to enroll 2,000 acres in CRP in Sangamon County, Ill., to benefit northern bobwhite quail and many other grassland species, including four state listed species: the northern harrier, Franklin's ground squirrel, Kirtland's water snake and the lined snake. The project will restore grassland and forest areas. It will also improve water quality through reduction in soil erosion, sediment, pesticides and nutrient runoff in the 170,000-acre Lake Springfield Watershed.
Indiana Northern Bobwhite SAFE
The goal of the Indiana Northern Bobwhite SAFE project is to enroll 3,875 acres in CRP to restore grassland and shrubland habitats for the northern bobwhite quail. This species has declined significantly throughout the state, as well as the Midwest, and is of significant social and economic value to the people of Indiana. More specifically, the project will work to restore grassland habitat for bobwhite quail and maintain the cover in a diversity of successional stages and vegetation structure that meets the bobwhite quail's nesting and brood-rearing requirements. Project coordinators will accomplish this through an increased use of applied management activities (i.e. prescribed burning, strip disking and strip spraying) over the life of the contract.
Kansas Upland Game Birds SAFE
The goal of the Kansas Upland Game Birds SAFE project is to improve populations of bobwhite quail and other grassland-associated wildlife by creating nesting/brood-rearing habitat on portions of crop fields. This SAFE effort will establish and maintain 30,100 acres in CRP consisting of diverse native grass and forb cover. Quail, pheasant and other grassland birds are species that will benefit from SAFE enrollments. Priority will be given to using SAFE to complement local efforts, and project coordinators expect upland birds should respond within the first year it's established. Acres enrolled in the SAFE project will also provide water quality benefits and reduce soil erosion.
Kentucky Early Successional and Bottomland Hardwood SAFE
The goal of the Kentucky Early Successional and Bottomland Hardwood Restoration SAFE project is to enroll 8,600 acres in CRP to benefit the northern bobwhite quail, which is a species that has suffered significant population decline throughout the state and is of significant social and economic value to the people of Kentucky. More specifically, the project will restore grassland habitats for bobwhite quail and maintain the cover in a diversity of successional stages and vegetation structure that meets the bobwhite quail's nesting and brood-rearing requirements by increased use of applied management activities (prescribed burning, strip disking, strip spraying, and inter-seeding native forbs).
Louisiana Gulf Coast Prairies SAFE
The goal of the Louisiana Gulf Coast Prairies SAFE project is to enroll 3,500 acres in CRP to restore grassland and shallow water habitats in the Gulf Coast Prairies region of Louisiana. Grasslands and seasonal wetlands are valuable during winter and breeding periods to mottled duck, northern bobwhite, Attwater greater prairie-chicken, short-eared owl, Henslow's sparrow, Le Conte's sparrow, Sprague's pipit and numerous other bird species whose populations are currently declining or otherwise are of special conservation concern.
Michigan Diverse Grassland SAFE
The Michigan Diverse Grassland SAFE seeks to enroll 7,500 acres of diverse native grassland within five years to benefit a variety of rare or declining species and species of significant importance. The project area is the lower peninsula of Michigan. This project works to plant native grasses, forbs and oak trees to create mosaics of short-grass prairie, tall-grass prairie and oak savanna. These and other species will benefit from SAFE: bobolink, eastern box turtle, eastern hognosed snake, eastern wild turkey, grasshopper sparrow, Henslow's sparrow, Karner Blue butterfly, northern bobwhite quail and ring-necked pheasant.
Mississippi Bobwhite Quail SAFE
The goal of the Mississippi Bobwhite Quail SAFE is to enroll 2,950 acres to increase native grassland habitats in Mississippi for northern bobwhite quail populations within three years. By restoring quality native grassland habitat, the project cooperators hope to increase habitat for bobwhite quail, grassland songbirds, pollinator insects and other wildlife. Infrastructure is already in place to establish native grass and forb communities in Mississippi. To measure species response to the conservation practice, partners will monitor bird populations for at least three years after fields are enrolled. Because of the historical prominence of bobwhite quail as a game bird, project organizers will use the bobwhite as a flagship species to promote habitat management for grassland wildlife in general.
Missouri Bobwhite Quail SAFE
The goal of the Missouri Bobwhite Quail SAFE project is to enroll 6,250 acres in CRP to provide nesting and brood-rearing habitat necessary for bobwhite quail. The project will provide and maintain 25 percent of bare ground for quail brood-rearing, which research has shown is needed to sustain optimum bobwhite quail populations. The combination of techniques used in this practice have also been shown to benefit pollinator species and bird species of conservation concern such as loggerhead shrike, Henslow's sparrow, Bell's vireo, field sparrow and dickcissel.
Missouri Sand Grassland SAFE
The goal of the Missouri Sand Grassland SAFE project is to enroll 6,250 acres in CRP to restore sand prairie, sand woodland and sand savannas in specific land type associations in Southeast Missouri with unique sandy soils, benefiting state endangered and state species of conservation concern, including the Illinois chorus frog, eastern spadefoot toad and northern bobwhite.
Nebraska Upland Birds SAFE
The goal of the Nebraska Upland Birds SAFE is to enroll 11,450 acres to enhance habitat for upland wildlife such as upland game birds, including northern bobwhite quail and ring-necked pheasant. The project seeks the conversion of cropland areas to habitat. For nesting upland game birds and grassland songbirds, patches of habitat are preferred to strips or buffers. Patches of habitat and wider buffers (>100 feet wide) are preferred for nesting and have reduced predation as compared to narrow strips or buffers enrolled at minimum widths (30 feet or less). Additional wildlife benefits will be achieved by designing patches of habitat that incorporate multiple plantings (e.g. nesting cover, brood-rearing cover, winter cover), to better meet the year-round needs of wildlife within individual patches of cover. These small areas will also benefit grassland breeding songbirds. Additionally, acres enrolled in the SAFE program will improve water quality and reduce soil erosion. The project area is statewide.
New Jersey Grassland SAFE
The goal of the New Jersey Grassland SAFE project is to enroll 400 acres in CRP to benefit rare and declining grassland-dependent birds across New Jersey, such as bobolink, vesper sparrow, eastern meadowlark, northern bobwhite quail, grasshopper and savannah sparrows, and upland sandpiper. The project will restore native warm-season grassland habitat on row crop fields and maintain the fields through scheduled mowing outside of the bird nesting season. The project includes restoration of wetlands, creation of vernal (springtime) pools for breeding amphibians and tree planting along riparian corridors. Small wetlands provide important stop-over grounds for migrating waterfowl looking for a place to rest and feed. Shallow wetlands are used by sora and bitterns, dragonflies and damselflies, pollinators, herptiles and a variety of mammals. Vernal pools in agricultural settings offer breeding habitat for spotted salamanders, wood frogs, spring peepers, American toads and the rarer Jefferson and marbled salamanders where conditions are suitable. Planting trees along water corridors helps to keep aquatic temperatures cool and oxygen levels high for the insects and animals that live within. Trees also provide an extra habitat buffer for animals like the clean-stream-centric long-tailed salamander and wood turtle, both listed as threatened species in New Jersey.
North Carolina Grassland SAFE
The goal of the North Carolina Grassland SAFE is to enroll 5,600 acres devoted to early successional habitat to benefit several grassland bird species identified as high-priority. These species include northern bobwhite, loggerhead shrike, grasshopper sparrow, eastern kingbird, eastern meadowlark, common yellowthroat and field sparrow. Habitat restoration will occur in the northeastern portion of North Carolina's upper coastal plain. This area has been targeted as a focal point for grassland bird conservation efforts. Project partners expect development of this habitat will increase the number of targeted birds during the breeding season after the third year of establishment. Installed practices will improve soil and water conservation efforts in the area.
Ohio Grassland and Wetland Complexes SAFE
The goal of the Ohio Grassland and Wetland Complexes SAFE project is to enroll up to 11,600 acres in CRP to benefit high priority species for Ohio, including Karner blue butterflies, frosted elfin butterflies, Henslow's sparrow, dickcissels, wood ducks, northern bobwhite quail and ring-necked pheasants. This project will work to restore and establish grassland and wetland complexes at priority focus areas throughout Ohio.
Oklahoma Mixed Grass Prairie SAFE
The goal of the Oklahoma Mixed Grass Prairie SAFE project is to enroll 15,100 acres in CRP to restore mixed-grass prairie type associations in Northwestern Oklahoma to benefit northern bobwhite, Cassin's sparrow and other grassland birds. In addition, this project will improve habitat suitability for a number of grassland species including Bell's vireo, lark sparrow and lesser prairie chicken. Habitat suitability will be improved locally at the field level and should help to address issues of fragmentation at the landscape level. This SAFE project will indirectly improve water and air quality, reduce soil erosion and provide hunting and nature viewing opportunities.
South Carolina Restoring Native Grasses SAFE
The goal of the South Carolina Restoring Native Grasses SAFE is to enroll 2,300 acres to increase early successional habitat in Allendale, Bamberg and Barnwell counties to benefit birds in decline. The project seeks to increase habitat within 3-5 years. The project targets bobwhite quail and songbirds by providing critical nesting and brood-rearing habitat, as well as a beneficial food source. The nesting and brood rearing habitat for bobwhite quail will be comprised of grasses and forbs. Turkey, deer and small mammals will also benefit from this conservation effort.
Tennessee Grass SAFE
The goal of the Tennessee Grass SAFE project is to enroll 6,000 acres in CRP to develop critical habitats that will provide high quality nesting, brood-rearing and protective woody cover and winter habitats necessary for bobwhite quail and other declining wildlife species that depend on native "early successional" type habitats and travel corridors between habitat blocks. Habitat gained through these SAFE options will help Tennessee meet habitat goals and needs identified in the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, Partners In Flight - North American Landbird Conservation Plan, Tennessee's State Wildlife Action Plan, and Mississippi Alluvial Valley, East Gulf Coastal Plain, and Central Hardwoods joint ventures. Key declining grassland bird species anticipated to benefit from this practice include bobwhite quail, field sparrow, eastern meadowlark, loggerhead shrike and dickcissel.
Virginia Culpeper Basin SAFE
The goal of the Virginia Culpeper Basin SAFE is to enroll 1,000 acres to restore habitat for grass and shrubland birds in five years. The project will use native trees, shrubs, and warm season grasses to restore grass and shrubland-dependent bird habitats along the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers, as well as upland habitat adjacent to their tributaries. The project seeks to create wildlife corridors of diverse habitats in various stages of succession. The conservation practices will benefit successional species such as the bobwhite quail, loggerhead shrike, field sparrow and prairie warbler. It will also benefit imperiled grassland species such as the barn owl, eastern meadowlark, Henslow's sparrow, upland sandpiper and grasshopper sparrow. The mix of proposed habitat restoration will provide for nesting sites, food and cover needs of each of the species, as well as other wildlife dependent on successional habitats.
Washington Columbia Basin SAFE
The goal of the Washington Columbia Basin SAFE project is to enroll 500 acres to benefit ring-necked pheasant and California quail. In addition, the project will benefit at-risk species such as the burrowing owl and Washington ground squirrel, which are known to inhabit irrigated circle corners and other unfarmed areas.
Wisconsin Southwest Grassland SAFE
The goal of the Wisconsin Southwest Grassland SAFE is to restore and maintain 4,000 acres of grassland and prairie habitat for 14 bird species of greatest conservation need in Wisconsin. The project boundary is called the Southwest Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area. This area harbors an extraordinary density of original prairie remnants, outstanding populations of grassland birds and the headwaters of numerous rivers. The uncommon grassland bird species that will benefit from the SAFE project are bobolink, upland sandpiper, grasshopper sparrow, short-eared owl, northern harrier, western meadowlark, eastern meadowlark, Henslow's sparrow, vesper sparrow, Bell's vireo, dickcissel, northern bobwhite and field sparrow.
