Published: September 26, 2008 10:07 am            

CRP's SAFE allocates over 135,000 acres aimed at bobwhite quail

Twenty-one projects in 20 states to establish bobwhite quail habitat

ST. PAUL (Sept. 25, 2008) — The new State Acres For wildlife Enhancement program, part of the ongoing continuous sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program, allocates more than 135,000 acres in 20 states aimed at establishing habitat for bobwhite quail.

Announced earlier this year, SAFE represents an important change to the CRP, one that encourages state-specific wildlife focused projects. SAFE projects target bobwhite quail in Indiana, pheasants in Minnesota, black bears in Mississippi, Roosevelt elk in Washington, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in Idaho, and numerous others. Already, 75 SAFE projects nationwide have been announced, covering more than 400,000 acres. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's goal is to restore or enhance 500,000 acres of wildlife habitat through SAFE.

Bobwhite quail stand to benefit immensely from the announced SAFE projects. A handful of projects, including the Indiana Northern Bobwhite SAFE, the Mississippi Bobwhite Quail SAFE and the Missouri Bobwhite Quail SAFE, are targeted directly at enhancing habitat for quail. Others, including the Tennessee Grass SAFE, the Oklahoma Mixed Grass Prairie SAFE and the North Carolina Grassland SAFE, are intended to benefit multiple grassland bird species identified as high-priority, including bobwhite quail. In total, bobwhites could benefit from over 135,000 acres in 21 initial projects over 20 states. To see the entire list of state-specific projects that benefit quail, click here.

"The decline of the bobwhite quail population over the past 40 years has been well-documented, from an estimated 31 million bobs in 1967 to just 5.5 million today," said Dave Nomsen, vice president of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. "Bobwhite quail have been in critical need of a program like SAFE, and the tool is finally available. Landowners who miss the whistling way of the bobwhite have the opportunity — on a daily basis — to learn about SAFE and implement it on America's farms."

The enthusiasm sparked by SAFE signups was also the catalyst for Nomsen to request from the USDA an additional 500,000 SAFE acres. Nomsen made the request in June during a signing ceremony in South Dakota at the site of the nation's first SAFE contract. South Dakota rocketed to their SAFE acre enrollment goal in a matter of days, proving the demand for the program even in the current agricultural climate. While the additional 500,000 SAFE acres have not yet been granted, Nomsen is still optimistic.

"Given the demand for SAFE signups in this agricultural climate, I see this new targeted method for delivering CRP as the future of the program," Nomsen said. "SAFE is successfully delivering habitat for quail, pheasants, and other wildlife to the landscape, while making it economically viable for farmers and ranchers to do so."

SAFE projects are available through the USDA Farm Service Agency service centers as part of the ongoing continuous sign-up for the CRP. To find the service center nearest you, log onto www.fsa.usda.gov. You can also contact a Quail Forever/Pheasants Forever farm bill biologist, a specialized consultant in conservation programs and habitat planning. Through a unique partnership, farm bill biologists are located in local USDA service centers in priority habitat areas around the country. To contact a farm bill biologist in your area, click here.

Pheasants Forever launched Quail Forever in August of 2005 to address the continuing loss of habitat suitable for quail and the subsequent quail population decline. QF chapters promote local, state, and federal conservation programs that help landowners protect environmentally sensitive acres for quail and other wildlife. They also employ the organization's unique model of empowering local chapters with 100 percent control of the chapters' locally raised funds to complete habitat and youth education projects in the chapters' own communities. Since Quail Forever's organization inception, more than 105 QF chapters have formed in 25 different states. The QF mission is accomplished through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, education, and conservation advocacy.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 129,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

For additional information, log on to www.pheasantsforever.org or www.quailforever.org.

        

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