WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has approved the addition of 95,000 acres for conservation projects in Idaho, Kansas and Washington. The acreage will be added through a portion of the Conservation Reserve Program called "State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement," or SAFE.

"Through cooperative efforts like the SAFE initiative, farmers and ranchers can play a key role in protecting wildlife that may be threatened or endangered," said Vilsack. "These 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."

An additional 40,000 acres will be allocated to the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse SAFE initiative in Idaho. Farmers and ranchers have enrolled 24,000 acres in this existing CRP SAFE project to increase quality grassland, shrub steppe, mountain brush and riparian habitat for grouse.

In Kansas, 30,000 acres will be allocated to a new SAFE initiative in certain targeted areas designated within the range of the lesser prairie chicken. The lesser prairie chicken is a candidate for federal listing as a threatened or endangered species. The most serious habitat threats are due to the conversion of native rangelands to forages and cultivation and conversion of restored habitat enrolled in CRP to cropland. Farmers and ranchers will work to conserve, restore, enhance and maintain these acres of new or expiring CRP grasslands.

In Douglas County, Washington, an additional 25,000 acres will be allocated to the Washington Sage-Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse SAFE initiative. This project was designed to preserve the habitat and grouse populations. Local producers have already offered 38,000 acres to voluntarily preserve and restore habitat and provide additional benefits for sage-grouse.

SAFE is a voluntary program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Due to the program's popularly, FSA received enrollment requests beyond the number of available acres. To date, USDA has approved 89 SAFE projects in 34 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. There are 384,942 acres enrolled in SAFE. SAFE is a cooperative conservation effort that helps state and regional agencies, non-profit organizations, farm groups and other conservation partners work with farmers and ranchers to restore wildlife habitats. Landowners who are interested in enrolling land in SAFE should visit their local FSA service center.

Under the Conservation Reserve Program, farmers and ranchers enroll eligible land in 10- to 15-year contracts with USDA. Participants plant appropriate cover such as grasses and trees in crop fields and along streams to help prevent soil and nutrients from running into waterways and affecting water quality. The long-term vegetative cover also improves wildlife habitat and soil quality.

For more information about SAFE and other conservation programs, visit your FSA county or state office or go on line at www.fsa.usda.gov/crp.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish federal-relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.