ShopPosts Tagged ‘Conservation Reserve Program’
6,526,717
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
- I’m guessing this sharp-tailed grouse and rooster pheasant were the last birds taken off this CRP land before it was plowed under.
6,526,717. That’s how many acres currently under a CRP contract are set to expire this autumn. If you thought last hunting season was tough, think about the ramifications to pheasants, quail, ducks, deer and our nation’s water quality if we lose 6.5 million acres more of critical habitat created by CRP lands. The clock to re-enroll those acres started this morning when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new CRP General Signup.
Here are the key pieces of information on the upcoming signup:
- Timing: Starting date is Monday, March 12th and it will run through Friday, April 6, 2012
- EBI: Offers for CRP contracts are ranked according to the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI). USDA’s Farm Service Agency collects data for each of the EBI factors based on the relative environmental benefits for the land offered. Each eligible offer is ranked in comparison to all other offers and selections made from that ranking. EBI rankings will use the same factors as the 2011 CRP general signup.
- No Acre Target: The USDA has said there is no current acre target for this signup, so it’s critical that all landowners with an interest in enrollment check out their options at their local USDA Service Center.
- Technical Assistance: Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologists are eager to assist landowners make the most competitive offers possible. Contact your local Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist.
- National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012: All attendees to this year’s event in Kansas City can sit down with a biologist and receive one-on-one expert advice on their CRP offer or any other federal conservation program. Stop by the Landowner Habitat Help Room at the show to learn more.
At last year’s National Pheasant Fest in Omaha, USDA Secretary addressed our attendees, “Over the past 25 years, support for CRP has grown thanks to strong backing from partners like Pheasants Forever, farmers, ranchers, conservationists, hunters, fishermen and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. Not only has CRP contributed to the national effort to improve water and air quality, it has preserved habitat for wildlife, and prevented soil erosion by protecting the most sensitive areas including those prone to flash flooding and runoff.”
If you know a landowner interested in CRP, make the call and get them informed on the new CRP General Signup. The clock on 6.5 million acres is ticking. The pheasants and quail that call those acres home are depending on us.
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
VIDEO: U.S. Sen. Klobuchar Addresses PF
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
U.S. Senator Klobuchar understands the value of conservation, including programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Since 2006, when she became the first female U.S. Senator from Minnesota, she has fought for the sportsmen and women of Minnesota and across the nation. She comes from a family of hunters, anglers and conservationists and she’s fought hard to uphold those traditions in Washington, D.C.
We are very much looking forward to working with Senator Klobuchar in crafting a strong conservation title in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill.
Here is Senator Klobuchar addressing Pheasants Forever’s 2012 Minnesota State Convention in a video message:
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
I Love my Bird Dog and She Loves CRP-MAP (The Final Installment)
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
This morning's CRP-MAP rooster in Nebraska.
After Andrew bagged a banded rooster this morning, I jumped into the Rooster Road Trip vehicle’s driver’s seat and promptly pointed the truck toward my favorite CRP-MAP field. This was a special field, the very same field that produced a limit of pointed roosters for me a year ago on the Rooster Road; including Trammell’s famous 500-yard retrieve.
Within moments, Tram was on the “birdy” trail with her tail vibrating left to right. A moment after Tram locked into a point, a big colorful rooster pheasant exploded from the little bluestem and cupped its wings. It was a shot I should have made. I knew he was there from her point. I just whiffed; plain and simple. Hey, it happens to everyone right?
Tram looked back at me as if to say, “What’s up with that boss?” I don’t know Tram, I don’t know. With my shooting confidence wavering, I pushed forward.
It only took a few hundred feet before Trammell found some fresh scent again. I readied the shotgun and picked up the pace. It was windy in Nebraska this morning, very windy. Trammell played the scent and wind like a seasoned pro and tried her best to pin the rooster into a point, but this ringneck wasn’t interested in the textbook on pointers. He busted toward the cloudless blue sky and flushed with the wind. The Browning Citori is natural in my hands and came up quickly. I found the bird and bead, and unleashed the Prairie Storm 4s. The rooster shuddered, but didn’t drop, gliding a hundred yards. Like a year ago, Tram was on the trail. In moments, Tram had locked up again into a solid point. As I approached, I gave her permission to “get him.” From the grassy clump emerged my first 2011 CRP-MAP rooster. I am a proud bird dog papa. Trammell thinks I’m okay too.
Open Fields and Waters Program
After reading my Nebraska preview blog, I received a very nice email from Caroline Hinkelman, Pheasants Forever’s Coordinating Wildlife Biologist in Lincoln, Nebraska this morning updating me on Nebraska’s public access programs. Hinkelman let me know Nebraska’s CRP-MAP program is being phased out and rolled into the Open Fields and Waters Program (OFW). OFW pays a higher rate and it includes woodlands, wetlands, mixed habitats, etc. This year, landowners have enrolled over 270,000 acres for hunting and fishing, with about 500 acres of open water and over 60 miles of river into OFW. Last year Nebraska received a grant from the USDA to fund the OFW program under the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program. This allows higher landowner payment rates to open up other habitat types besides CRP lands. – Thanks Caroline!
Although I may not be posting a blog declaring my love for CRP-MAP in the future, the good news is that Nebraska continues to push the envelope with fantastic habitat and public access. If you’re a traveling bird hunter, Nebraska is a must visit . . . yearly!
Follow Pheasants Forever’s Rooster Road Trip 2011 at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org, on Facebook , YouTube, and Twitter (#rrt11).
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
Nebraska Preview – Day 2 of the Rooster Road Trip
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
Nebraska's CRP-MAP acres provide excellent opportunities for the traveling bird hunter.
Tuesday, November 15th – NEBRASKA
We’ll be hunting in southwest Nebraska near the town of McCook on day 18 of Nebraska’s pheasant and quail hunting season.
Shooting Hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset
Sunrise: 7:27AM
Sunset: 5:27PM
Daily Limits: 3 rooster pheasants per day / 12 in possession. 6 quail per day / 24 in possession.
Public Hunting Land
We’ll be focusing our day’s hunt on CRP-MAP land. CRP-MAP stands for Conservation Reserve Program – Managed Access Program. Through the program, the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission in partnership with Pheasants Forever pays private landowners to improve their CRP acres for wildlife and open those acres up for public hunting.
We’ll be hunting in the Republican River watershed, which happens to also be a relatively new special focus area for CRP in the state. In fact, Nebraska has a special Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) for this area, which has targeted 100,000 acres of land in the Republican and Platte River watersheds. The combination of CREP and CRP-MAP has these new acres featuring a very diverse mix of grasses, forbs and legumes maximizing wildlife benefits. That means good pheasant habitat!
Non-resident Licensing
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission offers a full season non-resident small game permit ($81) or a two-day small game permit ($56). Either of these licenses must be purchased in tandem with a state Habitat Stamp for an additional $20 to hunt pheasants and quail in the state. A hunter education certificate number is also required.
Pheasants Forever’s Impact in Nebraska
Pheasants Forever Chapters: 61
Pheasants Forever Members: That is today’s Pheasants Forever trivia question on Facebook
Quail Forever Members: 496
Habitat projects completed by Pheasants Forever in Nebraska: 94,143 projects
Total habitat acres improved by Pheasants Forever in Nebraska: 2,771,794 acres
My Nebraska Memories
I have been hunting Nebraska since 2004 and continue to believe it’s one of the most under-rated states for the traveling upland bird hunter. Boasting prairie chickens, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and bobwhite quail in addition to pheasants, Nebraska offers a mixed bag with diverse terrain and lots of public land opportunities. In fact, my favorite memory from last year’s Rooster Road Trip came in Nebraska on a spectacular retrieve from my pup. You can read that full story titled, “I Love my Bird Dog and She Loves CRP-MAP.”
Learn more at www.VisitNebraska.gov
One of my proudest bird dog moments came last year in Nebraska on a long distance retrieve.
Follow Pheasants Forever’s Rooster Road Trip 2011 at www.RoosterRoadTrip.org, on Facebook , YouTube, and Twitter (#rrt11).
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
Getting to the Business of Pheasant Hunting
Monday, October 17th, 2011
Many hunters will be hitting the fields during upcoming weekends and vacation time. While thoughts of employment and the city should rightfully be left behind, even with their upland leathers on, hunters can’t escape being key parts of an industry: Pheasant Hunting.
- South Dakota, pheasant hunters spend $220 million annually.
- In Kansas, upland hunting generates more than $120 million in retail sales annual.
- There’s an economic impact of $186 million from upland bird hunting in Iowa.
- In Minnesota, upland bird hunting – relatively equal between pheasants and ruffed grouse – generates roughly $121 million in direct retail sales.
- Even in species rich Montana, the pheasant is king. Resident bird hunters there spend about $64 each day they hunt and nonresidents drop a whopping $376 each day.
- Pheasant hunting specifically benefits many small-town economies in Colorado’s Eastern Plains.
Pheasant hunting is so important to the South Dakota economy that the state's Tourism Department has an entire ad campaign behind it.
Considering the snapshot above, as well as a new economic study (that says great outdoors and historic preservation generate a conservative estimate of more than $1 trillion in total economic activity and support 9.4 million jobs each year), it isn’t far-fetched to call “Pheasant Hunting” a billion dollar business.
Each and every pheasant hunter, whether they hunt close to home or put thousands of miles in the rearview, is part of this economic driver: The coffee at the café, the burger at the greasy spoon, the fuel up at quick mart, the evening suds at the saloon, the extra shells at sport mart and the sirloin at the steakhouse.
Could this entire pheasant hunting industry (it’s perfectly okay not to think of it like that while you’re clothed in blaze orange) be in jeopardy? With it all dependent upon upland habitat to support it, and the uncertainty surrounding the nation’s biggest habitat creator – the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – it seems that way.
If you’re supportive of the CRP as a conservation and economic foundation, then please consider Pheasants Forever’s Action Alert which calls on pheasant hunters and Pheasants Forever supporters to immediately contact your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative about making CRP reauthorization a top Congressional priority.
Then you can get to the real business of pheasant hunting, now, tomorrow and forever.
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.org and follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauck.
“Pheasant Capital’s” CRP Losses Hardest in Eastern SD
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
South Dakota will still provide the best pheasant hunting in the nation, but a disturbing trend in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) habitat loss has pheasant numbers pointing downward in the eastern part of the state.
Overall, South Dakota has 400,000 fewer CRP acres than it did just a half decade ago, and the bulk of that loss is in 13 eastern South Dakota counties. With a combined 450,000 CRP acres in 2005, the South Dakota pheasant brood survey showed 7 pheasants-per-mile in these counties. Subtract more than 150,000 CRP acres that have expired from the program, mix in a couple hard winters, and the same survey reported just over 1 pheasant-per-mile in these counties this year.
Pheasant numbers have dropped as a result of decreased CRP acreage in these 13 eastern South Dakota counties.
Recent CRP news from Pheasants Forever:
- An Action Alert message from Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever President and CEO, to pheasant hunters and Pheasants Forever supporters.
- Desperate Days for CRP, a message from Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs.
Field Notes are written and compiled by Anthony Hauck Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.org and follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauck.
Desperate Days for CRP
Monday, October 10th, 2011
I hope you received our important Action Alert last week asking pheasant hunters and Pheasants Forever supporters to immediately contact your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative about making CRP reauthorization a top Congressional priority. I can’t stress enough how important your email voice is in today’s battle to save America’s benchmark conservation program.
Is the Conservation Reserve Program headed the way of the Soil Bank?
I have worked in Washington, D.C. on conservation programs and CRP since its 1985 beginnings. I’ve never, ever, seen the program’s future so grim. There are proposals to slash CRP’s current 32 million-acre baseline in half . . . or worse. I don’t need to tell you what a loss of that magnitude would mean to pheasants, quail, flood prevention, water quality and hunting access. “DEVASTATING” is the word that rings in my mind.
I recognize we do need to reduce federal spending, but we need to be wise about our conservation cuts. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of this battle for conservation in the past, it’s critical that you get in the game now. Your future and your children’s future of days spent in the field together with bird dogs and flushing roosters hangs in the balance.
This is my personal plea; please, please contact your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative about making CRP reauthorization a top Congressional priority today. If you get a response back, please drop me an email message with the feedback you receive at dnomsen@pheasantsforever.org. Please don’t let CRP be this generation’s Soil Bank program of days gone by.
Thank You!
The D.C. Minute is written by Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Government Relations.
This Looks Like a Good Spot to Nest
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
It is the time of year when hen pheasants are sitting on their nests in the northern states, or trying to after a cold and wet spring.
This is also the time when hens are most vulnerable to the elements and predators. This is why Pheasants Forever puts such a big emphasis on the importance of quality nesting habitat that consists of contiguous acres of grasslands. But when those acres are not available, that hen will find anything she can to lay her eggs down for the year. In some cases, these areas can seem rather odd and leave you scratching your head as to why the spot was chosen.
I travel a lot and study pheasants on a regular basis. This is why I have to ask myself, “Why would a pheasant nest in a flower pot, or in someone’s front yard?” These are two areas that we don’t speak of too much as habitat, but in the above cases these were the only areas available for that bird to lay her eggs. These are also areas where the chances of survival will be very low.
Pheasants prefer to nest in grasslands, and as such prefer blocks of cover to protect her and her young. They will be found in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) areas, pastures, grasslands, and even in road ditches. This is why many states encourage no mowing until mid-summer when the eggs are hatched and the chicks can get away. Still, mowing ditches is a common practice that destroys thousands of eggs and pheasants per year.
How important is CRP to pheasant and wildlife populations? This graph from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department shows how pheasants responded to two different time periods: the first being Soil Bank Program years (of the late 1950s and early 1960s) and the second being our present CRP years (1985 to present):
North Dakota pheasant harvest information provided by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
The importance of grasslands in America is why Pheasants Forever advocates for them on state and national levels. Support for these efforts can be made by supporting your local Pheasants Forever chapter, and for more information on grassland programs and habitat advice, contact a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist near you!
The Big Spur Blog is written by Jesse Beckers, Pheasants Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist for North Dakota. If you have a pheasant habitat or pheasant biology question for Jesse, email him at JBeckers@pheasantsforever.org.
Pheasants Forever Journal, Summer 2011 Issue Preview
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
The Pheasant Forever Journal, Summer 2011 issue cover.
While spring is seemingly having a hard time “springing” in most parts of pheasant country, summer can’t be far off. In fact, the Summer 2011 issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal of Upland Conservation mails today.
The first thing readers will notice is the original cover artwork. The Brittany pup was created by Atlanta, Georgia, artist Peggy Watkins, and represents the first time since the Winter 2008 issue that art has appeared on the cover. Prior to that, artwork last appeared on the cover for the Fall 2002 issue.
Now back to the Brittany. Making its first appearance on the Pheasants Forever Journal cover in 5 years, the Brit is representing all sporting dog breeds, as this issue contains a Sporting Dog Special Section. Check it out for training tips (especially timely if you’re the lucky owner of a new pup) and new bird dog gear.
In addition to a pheasant hunting photo essay, upland hunters will also enjoy Pheasants Forever Journal Editor Mark Herwig’s entry “Woodcock Conservation” about hunting and getting to know the American Woodcock (a thicker preview can be found at Mark’s blog). There are some surprising similarities between woodcock and pheasants, which is why it makes the grade for the pheasant publication.
Finally, conservation policy wonks can dig in to “Celebrating CRP’s 25th Anniversary” and “Will WRP Survive Congressional Cuts?” These programs – the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) – do as much for pheasants and pheasant hunters as any, so if you aren’t already, this is a prime opportunity to become familiar.
The next issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal will be the highly anticipated Pheasant Hunting Preview edition slated for later this summer. Don’t miss an issue, so if it’s time to join or renew your Pheasants Forever membership, call toll free at (877) 773-2070 or do so right here at the Pheasants Forever website.
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor
Eight Days Left to Get Your Friend Enrolled in the CRP
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
4 million acres are currently available for CRP enrollment, but the April 15th deadline is fast approaching.
If you are a member of a conservation group like Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever, then you are probably familiar with Action Alerts. We typically email these “calls to action” when we need our members to contact an elected official about a piece of legislation that’s gone awry. Some folks are comfortable making a call to a politician, but many are not.
My Action Alert for you today is a much easier task. I am requesting everyone who is reading this blog to make a single phone call to a friend. We all have friends who have talked about enrolling land in the Conservation Reserve Program but who have never taken the next step to learn about their options for enrollment. Today – right this very moment, because we are running out of time – a single phone call can help add habitat to the landscape.
We currently have 8 business days remaining in what will likely be the only general CRP signup of 2011. In fact, this is only the second general CRP signup opportunity that has occurred in the last 7 years. The window officially closes next Friday, April 15th.
So, if you’ve got a friend, family member or acquaintance who owns a little land, give them a shout and ask them to stop by their local USDA Service Center to see if CRP is an option on their property. They will likely thank you for the reminder.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.
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