OACD

Farmers, Ranchers and other landowners in Northwest Oklahoma will soon have the option to receive stewardship payments for work done to protect and expand the habitat of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under a new program that will be partially funded by a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant that has been awarded to the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD).   According to OACD Executive Director Clay Pope, this new initiative builds off of the success of the Oklahoma Carbon Credit Program and is designed to put dollars directly into the pockets of land owners who take action to protect this imperiled species.

“We are really excited about the opportunity this grant from NRCS provides to us in developing this new program to help landowners while protecting the Lesser Prairie Chicken,” Pope said.  “By undertaking a program that gives a direct financial incentive for agriculture producers and other landowners to protect this species, it changes the nature of the game from one that costs landowners dollars to one that actually provides a financial benefit to those folks who practice good stewardship on their land.  This grant from NRCS will go a long way toward getting this program off the ground.”

Authorized by the 2008 farm bill, the Conservation Innovation Grant program (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies for agriculture production. CIG promotes sharing of skills, knowledge, technologies, and facilities among communities, governments, and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users.  Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes or individuals.  OACD will receive over $412,000 to develop a credit program to help mitigate the loss of the habitat of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under a program similar to their successful Carbon Credit Program.

“We have made great strides in this kind of work to encourage carbon sequestration on private lands and we feel we can have the same kind of success when it comes to helping protect the Lesser Prairie Chicken,” Pope said.

According to Dave White, Chief of the NRCS, this grant received by OACD is one among many nationwide that will help some of America’s top agricultural and conservation institutions, foundations and businesses develop unique approaches to enhancing and protecting natural resources on agricultural land.

“Conservation Innovation Grants allow our partners to demonstrate innovative approaches to address some of the nation’s most compelling natural resource concerns,” White said. ”Their creativity and problem-solving will benefit conservation-minded farmers and ranchers, and everyone who relies upon our nation’s natural resources for food and fiber.”

Under the terms envisioned for this new initiative, landowners who sign a contract to undertake a wildlife management plan including improvements such as improved pasture management, cross fence removal, invasive species control and native grass plantings and who also agree to forego activities for the term of their contract that significantly harm Prairie Chicken Habitat will qualify for this program.   According to Pope, this new influx of money by NRCS for this program builds off of a earlier agreement between the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC ) and OACD.

“Last fall ODWC and OACD took the initial steps to build this program and get it started,” Pope said. “ODWC has already been working with other partners to sign landowners up to establish permanent easements for Prairie Chicken Habitat and they are working to secure refuge areas for this and other species through land purchases, but habitat management is a big issue that requires multiple solutions and many producers are uncomfortable with permanent easements. We feel this new approach will work well with those landowners who are interested in working on a multi-year agreement to protect and expand the habitat of this critical species through some form of contract that would reward them financially for good stewardship work while allowing them the a chance to review their options every few years.   We think this new agreement fits well into this niche and will allow more work to be done to keep the Lesser Prairie Chicken off the endangered species list.”

According to OACD President Joe Parker, this partnership is another way the Oklahoma Conservation Partnership of local Conservation Districts, OACD, the Conservation Commission and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are helping landowners conserve the state’s Natural Resources.

“This new initiative is a great way to promote conservation of our natural resources, reward good stewardship of the land and highlight the good work that is going on in Oklahoma,” Parker said.  “By creating this new market for Wildlife Credits, we are helping protect a critical species we all want kept off the endangered species list while rewarding the efforts farmers, ranchers and other landowners are doing to protect our environment.  This is a great program that helps wildlife while putting dollars in the pocket of those folks going the extra mile to protect our natural resources.  This is an exciting partnership and we are glad to be a part of it.”