USDA works to maintain CRP acreage for wildlife

By DAVE WILKINS

Capital Press

The USDA has approved an additional 40,000 acres in Idaho and 25,000 acres in Washington that private landowners may enroll in a program aimed at protecting grouse habitat.

The agency announced the allocation of the additional acres through its "State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement," program.

Idaho already has 24,000 acres enrolled in the voluntary program, and Washington has 38,000 acres enrolled.

Like the Conservation Reserve Program, SAFE pays landowners to idle cropland for a period of 10 to 15 years in return for an annual rental payment.

In Idaho, the additional acres have been allocated to a Columbian sharp-tailed grouse initiative.

Much of the sharp-tailed grouse habitat in Idaho is in the southeastern part of the state. The species has benefited from high CRP participation in the area, but many of those contracts are due to expire before the end of the year, said Dick Rush, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Idaho.

The allocation of additional SAFE acres has the potential to keep those lands in grass cover and out of agricultural production.

"We think many of these farmers who have expiring CRP acres with grass stands already established will be able to take advantage of these SAFE acres, and I think these Columbian sharp tailed grouse will be happy as well," Rush said.

Idaho has 161,082 CRP contract acres that expire this year. More than half of those acres are in Bannock, Power and Oneida counties.

All three counties have a fair amount of land classified as wildlife priority areas, which is one of the criteria for SAFE, Rush said.

No more than 25 percent of total cropland in a county may be enrolled in CRP. In the past, Bannock, Oneida and Power counties have been allowed to exceed the cap through a special exemption.

But new regulations contained in the 2008 Farm Bill prohibit continuation of the exemption. Enrollments under the SAFE program will not count toward the 25 percent cap.

In Washington, the additional SAFE acres have been allocated to a sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse initiative in Douglas County.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release that the allocation of additional SAFE acres will "provide new opportunities for state and regional agencies, non-profit organizations, farm groups and other conservation partners to work with farmers and ranchers to restore wildlife habitats and conserve rare species before they have to be listed under the Endangered Species Act."