From: William McGuire [MCGUIW@mail.conservation.state.mo.us]
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 12:01 PM
To: fb-net@fb-net.org
Subject: The Farm Bill, Wildlife and Bobwhite Quail in Specific

Apologies for the length of this but, if you will bear with me, you may find it worth the read.

The new Farm Bill is reality and the ball passes to USDA to refine existing programs to bring them in line with new legislation as well as create new programs.  This will be a challenging process for USDA due to the complexity of conservation issues but the opportunity for significant natural resource progress, in concert with voluntary participation of producers, is incredibly huge.

Regarding wildlife, approximately 50% of the US is in agricultural production and many species of wildlife reside on agricultural landscapes with nowhere else to go. If ways cannot be found for these species to survive on those landscapes then they will eventually slip away and society, including agricultural producers, lose something irreplaceable.

The conservation provisions of the new Farm Bill are varied enough and funded at levels that will offer a stellar opportunity to achieve conservation of species on agricultural lands - in concert with food/fiber production, other resource needs and the reasons why individuals own land - and, that could shortcircuit population declines, thereby avoiding controversies often associated with threatened and endangered species.

Wildlife species and wildlife needs vary by region of the U.S.  and a host of prairie, wetland, savanna, forest and other species are in need of attention.  Therefore, this posting in no way is intended to diminish the compelling needs of any species.  Rather, the intent is to simply highlight the needs of a private land flagship species in most states where the species is found.  The bobwhite quail has long been a positive symbol of wildlife as a byproduct of agricultural lands. Bobwhite quail have also been thought of an indicator species in that habitats valued by quail are also important to a host of other species that live on the same lands.

However, over the last two decades, bobwhite quail (throughout their 32 state range) have declined precipitously and alarmingly.  And, although bobwhite quail are not 'at risk' in the same sense that species nearing extinction  are 'at risk', the decline serve as a red flag that something isn't right - in a very big way - as well as a concern on that part of many landowners and members of the public that value the bobwhite quail.

The intent of the Farm Bill, as relates to wildlife, is much broader than bobwhite quail conservation but the following excerpt from the Farm Bill Conference Report illuminates Conferee intent on the Farm Bill and bobwhite quail in specific.

"The Manager's find that bobwhite quail are a valued traditional symbol of farmed landscapes, but have declined by two-thirds since 1980.  The Managers further find that the success of the Southeast Quail Study Group's new 'Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative' is largely dependent upon land management actions by agriculture producers and non-industrial, private forest owners.  The Managers further find that many conservation programs of the 2002 Farm Bill have large potential to contribute to the NBCI's quail habitat objectives.  In support of the goal to restore bobwhites, the Managers expect USDA and its agencies to give full consideration to and, to the extent practicable, to capitalize on all opportunities in the 2002 Farm Bill's conservation programs to promote voluntary establishment of suitable wildlife habitat that contributes to the quail restoration objectives."

Therefore, let me offer a suggestions regarding how USDA conservation programs could benefit bobwhite quail.

All programs - utilize natural succession wherever and whenever possible.

CRP - the application of periodic management is necessary to continue habitat benefits for the entire contract period.  Prescribed burning and light disking are among the best.  An incentive ($15/acre suggested), paid only in the year management is needed, to compensate participants for the cost of practice application would help ensure quail habitat is provided.

CRP - continue to EBI to reward participants for selecting wildlife cover choices.  In addition, provide an incentive payment to eliminate the cost differential between lowest cost cover and cover best for wildlife.  This differential most often exists between native and exotic cover choices.

CRP Continuous Sign-up - in the absence of a practice or EBI, quail needs are left to chance in CCRP.  Establish a field border practice (natural succession or wildlife cover choices) as well as an incentive payment ($50/acre suggested - one time payment) to encourage wildlife choices in filter strips, etc.

EQIP - offer a fully array of practices that can be used to incorporate early successional habitat management into production lands (prescribed burning, light disking, shrubby cover establishment in fence rows, food plots/standing grain strips).

EQIP - offer an incentive payment option for producers that are willing to utilize crop rotation, with unharvested grass/legume cover in the rotation as an alternative to expensive terrace systems.  The incentive in the year of the grass/legume cover (beneficial to wildlife).

GRP - ensure grazing/haying regimes are compatible with bobwhite quail needs in quail range.

CSP - incorporate early successional management (needed by bobwhite quail) into all levels of payment (periodic application of prescribed burning or light disking, shrubby cover establishment, field border establishment, food plots or standing grain, etc.)

CSP - incorporate a short-term set-aside (1-5 years) for portions of fields to rest the soil and provide wildlife cover utilizing natural succession or plantings beneficial to wildlife.

All for now.

Perhaps others have ideas to add ...

Bill McGuire

Private Land Services Chief
Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO  65102
Phone:  573/751-4115 (x3148)
Fax:  573/522-1791
mcguiw@mail.conservation.state.mo.us

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