Dateline: August 9, 2007

Texas FSA seeks proposals for new conservation initiative

The Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA) is asking federal, state and local agencies as well as private or non-profit organizations to submit proposals for a new 500,000-acre Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) program to improve habitat for high-priority wildlife species nationwide.  Nearly 40,000 acres has been allocated to Texas

“The State Areas for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative provides an opportunity to develop grassroots conservation projects to address high priority wildlife needs through habitat restoration,” said Bruce Ferguson Executive Director for the Donley County FSA.

“This initiative further extends the positive environmental impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).” 

With more than 36 million acres enrolled, CRP is the nation’s largest, voluntary private-lands conservation program.  CRP practices improve water quality, air quality and wildlife habitat.

SAFE will enable the public, producers, state and federal agencies, non-profit conservation organizations and others to propose areas where new CRP acreage may be established to address the habitat needs of endangered, threatened or high-priority fish and other wildlife species.

In addition, conservation practices currently offered under CRP can be fine-tuned under SAFE to improve, connect or create higher-quality habitat to promote healthier ecosystems in areas identified as essential to effective species management.

Proposed SAFE acreage located in counties that have reached the CRP acreage enrollment cap of 25 percent will not be considered.  All proposed acreage for CRP enrollment under the SAFE program must have been cropped or meet FSA’s definition of “farmable,” four of six years during the period 1996-2001. Proposals should include a thorough description of the proposed project, identify the targeted species and should outline project monitoring and evaluation plans.

Ferguson emphasized that Individual landowners interested in proposing a SAFE plan should consider partnering with other landowners or special-interest groups in order to increase the number of acres proposed for enrollment because approved SAFE plans must, at a minimum, result in a county-wide impact on restoration of habitat for the target species.

 “A good proposal will encompass a sizeable geographic area and include not only the target species, plantings and related details, but will offer a monitoring plan that indicates how success will be tracked; the plan will also provide a baseline for where we’re at today as well as a vision of where we want be in the future with regard to species restoration,” said Ferguson

Interested entities can submit a SAFE proposal to the local FSA Office or directly to the Texas FSA State Office attention: Sammy Orange, Conservation Chief; PO Box 2900, College Station, Texas 77841.  The deadline for receipt of SAFE proposals is August 13, 2007.

For SAFE proposal details, format and protocol, contact the Donley County FSA at 806-874-3561 or visit the national web site at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov.