The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced on August 12 that it is committing $10.8 million to farmers and ranchers on the northern plains to support migratory bird habitat. The new initiative the Northern Plains Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (NPMBHI) is designed to enhance migratory bird habitat and improve water quality and the health of grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

"This tremendous effort will put proven conservation practices to work protecting and sustaining important migratory bird habitat and improving water quality and grasslands," said NRCS Chief Dave White. "America's producers know that there is no inherent conflict between a thriving agricultural operation and improved wildlife habitat. In fact, well-managed private lands support healthy ecosystems that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and other environmental services that benefit the public, while improving the vitality of agricultural lands and the economies of local communities."

The vision of the NRCS Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative began last summer after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. To avoid potentially devastating impacts on ducks and other migratory bird species, NRCS enrolled 470,000 acres in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas into the initiative?more than three times the number anticipated. The goals were to improve habitat and food sources earlier in the flyway and to hold birds in quality habitat and keep them from moving farther down the flyway to the Gulf. The program was so popular and effective that funding for the initiative was increased to $40 million.

The success within the Mississippi Flyway is now being mirrored on the northern plains, an area considered critically important for breeding migratory birds. The NPMBHI will provide technical and financial assistance for restoring wetlands drained for agricultural uses, managing farmed wetlands in ways that reduce impacts on wildlife and water quality and keeping unaltered wetlands in their current condition. Specific projects will include planting native grasses and cover crops, employing grazing practices that protect habitat and removing invasive trees that choke out native plants and attract predators. These practices will be combined into conservation systems designed for individual farms and ranches.

Funds for the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative come through existing Wetlands Reserve, Environmental Quality Incentives and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Programs. Projects provide food and cover for bird populations in areas of serious habitat loss, much-needed water during drought, support for local economies by attracting hunters and bird watchers, and new opportunities to improve wildlife management.

NRCS will award the contracts in the NPMBHI before September 30. (jas)