Revised November 2005

The Missouri Department of Conservation, in cooperation with the Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts is pleased to offer an exciting new opportunity for landowners enrolled in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Nearly 1.5 million acres of land is currently enrolled in CRP in Missouri and can, with application of management, provide habitat for bobwhite quail. Landowners with CRP contracts are eligible for CRP-BOB cost share for certain management practices, as approved by an MDC biologist, as well as the cost-share that USDA provides.

• Only CRP and CREP acreage is eligible.  Land enrolled in other state or federal programs is not eligible.

• Landowners must first agree to modify their existing CRP contracts to include mid-contract management practices.

1. One practice from each of boxes 1, 2 and 3 must be selected and additional practices from boxes 2 and 3 can be included as optional.  Participants will not be required to duplicate practices or habitat already in place as verified by a site evaluation.

2. To secure funds for a CRP-BOB contract, the planner should complete the CRP-BOB Enhancement Practices table and deliver to the appropriate Private Land Services (PLS) Division Regional Supervisor. The planner should complete the amount requested, cost share rate and total cost share requested columns.
3. Once funding confirmation is received from the PLS Regional Supervisor, the CRP-BOB participant can be notified they will need to contact NRCS and/ort FSA to modify their contract/plan as necessary to include the mid-contract management practices.
4. Once contract/plan modifications are completed (not before), the participant ay begin practice implementation.
5. Participants must complete all three required practices (or agree to maintain existing practices/habitat conditions if applicable substitute) before requesting cost share through CRP-BOB.
6. Once the planner has certified practices have been implemented, the CRP-BOB request for cost share form is completed and forwarded to the county SWCD office for processing. The SWCD will forward the form to the MASWCD office and the MASWCD will provide payment to the landowner from funds provided by MDC.

w $4,000 per landowner annual limit.

w Food plots are not allowed on CP25 or continuous CRP contracts due to USDA guidelines.

w Cost share is not available for practices required through a CRP contract (such as existing food plots).

w Participants have one year from the date the CRP contract was modified to implement practices.

w Participants must agree to maintain enhancements for a 10-year period, regardless of CRP contract length.

w Participants that destroy CRP-BOB practices or are out of compliance with USDA program requirements will be required to repay a

     pro-rated amount of the CRP-BOB cost share received.

w Participants must follow CRP signup 26 guidelines for the mid-contract management  (see 2-CRP (Rev. 4) Mo. Amend. 4 and 5).

w Once a contract has been modified to include mid-contract management, participants may no longer mow CRP

     acres enrolled in CRP-BOB

Light Strip Disking – Rotate disked strips (maximum 75 feet wide) with undisked strips (two times the disked width) across the field on the contour; disk 2 to 4 inches deep; no more than one-third of each CRP field annually, between October 1^st and December 31^st. Aim for 30% to 50% bareground after disking.

Herbicide Suppression – Herbicides can be applied in strips on no more than one-third of each CRP field; follow label directions to retard vegetation (not kill); apply to warm-season grasses in May and June and cool-season grasses treated between March 15^th and May 15^th or October 1^st to December 1^st.

Native Forb / Legume Interseeding – Cost sharable practice only on acres disturbed by a mid-contract management practice. Check with NRCS or MDC for a list of acceptable native forb species. Acceptable non-native legumes include annual lespedeza, alfalfa, red and white clover.

Covey Headquarters & Shrub Plantings – Provides heavy escape and loafing cover for quail. Plant shrub islands or "covey headquarters" (100 bare root shrubs on a 5’x5’ foot spacing or 30 container grown shrubs on a 7’x7' spacing) or 2 to 4 row shrub shelterbelts (5’x5’ spacing). Shrub plantings should be scattered throughout the field and located close to food plots and suitable grassland habitat for quail. Good shrub species include wild plum, gray and roughleaf dogwood, indigo bush, hazelnut, and blackberry. Cost share covers hand planting and site preparation. Participants are required to establish 1/10^th acre of shrubs on each 40 acres.

Woody Edge Feathering – Used to improve woody cover surrounding CRP fields. Mature trees/hedges along the edges of CRP fields should be cut down and left for cover. Cut all woody vegetation 30 feet back from the edge except that desirable trees such as oak and walnut can be left. Treat stumps of undesirable species with an approved herbicide. Invasive grasses should be sprayed before beginning edge work. Participantss are required to create 1/10^th acre of feathered edge on each 40 acres.

Food Plots – Provides a food source and open habitat for quail and other wildlife. Up to 25 percent of any CRP field can be in food plots of up to five acres. Food plots can not make up more than 10 percent of the total CRP acres on a farm. Food plots should be well distributed across a field and on the contour. Food plots through CRP-BOB will be limited to annual grains such as milo, wheat, forage sorghum, corn, millet and sunflowers. Landowners are required to establish ¼ acre of food plots on each 40 acres.

Cost share assistance is available through USDA for prescribed burning, light disking, herbicide suppression, and native forb/legume interseeding. Cost share is available for the remaining practices through the CRP-BOB Program. Each practice has specific standards and specifications listed on the front of this page.

To participate in the CRP-BOB program, contact your local FSA, NRCS, or Soil and Water Conservation District offices, or local MDC office.

Contact your local Missouri Department of Conservation representative for additional information on how you can improve your property for bobwhite quail or contact your local Farm Services Agency office for CRP information.