Restoring Bobwhite Quail Habitat

by Matt Smith, Biologist
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP)
Hays, Kansas

Just over a year ago the Farm Service Agency (FSA) introduced a new conservation practice under the continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that has tremendous potential to benefit northern bobwhite quail. This new practice is called Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds. The idea behind this effort was to create 250,000 acres of habitat for quail by offering a conservation practice of early successional native grass buffers along agricultural field margins. Kansas was allocated 20,000 of those acres and since October 2004 has about 13,000 acres enrolled.

To be eligible, cropland must be suitably located and adaptable to the establishment of bobwhite quail habitat. In addition, the application must satisfy the basic eligibility and cropping history requirements for the CRP. Cropland does not need to be classified as highly erodible, but must have been planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity at least four out of the six years (1996-2001). Eligible acres are automatically accepted instead of being competitively ranked as in the general CRP.

Richard Berry, a producer from Russell County, has enrolled over 20 acres of his field margins into the program. “There were a few wet spots along my field edges that were difficult to farm and some areas that tended to wash during hard rains,” Berry explains. “This program really fits well with my situation; I don’t have to farm the difficult areas and the buffers will provide great habitat for quail and pheasants. This is a good win-win situation for everyone, and I will be thinking about doing more in the future.”

An added benefit to the wildlife habitat created, and the buffer’s ability to reduce soil erosion and protect water quality, is the financial payment to the landowner. There are Signup Incentive Payments offered up to $100 per acre for participants accepted into the program. Landowners will receive annual rental payments for the length of the contract (10 years), 50 percent cost-share assistance for cover establishment is available plus an additional Practice Incentive Payment of 40 percent of the eligible establishment cost, effectively raising the cost share to 90 percent.

A producer in Rush County, who was one of the first to enroll in the program, has already seen pheasants and quail using his buffers, especially right after harvest in fields surrounded by buffers. As anyone who has spent time on a combine or a swather knows, young birds and even hens often get destroyed at harvest time. If a field has a border of grass 30-120 feet wide, birds that otherwise may be killed have a place to escape the harvest machinery.

If these reasons aren’t enough for producers to establish field borders on their property, there is one more very good reason to participate in this program. These buffers will enhance resource concerns on the farm that may help producers achieve eligibility for the Conservation Security Program (CSP). The wildlife habitat created by these buffers may also move farms to higher tier payments under CSP.

If you are interested in enrolling your field borders into this program, go to your local U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Service Center and talk to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), FSA, or conservation district staff. Wildlife biologists from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks can provide wildlife habitat improvement recommendations and other technical assistance related to wildlife management to aid in developing a plan and other recommendations beneficial to upland birds.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.udsa.gov.

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Last Modified: 08/20/2008