Richmond, VA, October 2, 2017 – If you think cattle and quail don’t mix, a new concept in managed grazing may just change your mind. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting applications for a unique program that focuses on establishing productive warm season forages to improve cattle production AND provide large acreages of prime habitat for ground nesting birds and other wildlife.
The Northern Bobwhite in Working Grasslands initiative offers technical and financial assistance to help eligible livestock producers implement various conservation practices to address habitat loss without taking their land out of production. Virginia will conduct targeted restoration activities throughout the state with a focus on the following counties: Augusta, Bland, Botetourt, Charlotte, Culpeper, Fauquier, Halifax, Madison, Orange, Pittsylvania, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Wythe. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign up before October 20 to be eligible for fiscal year 2018 funding.
“This new program offers a ‘win-win’ for participating producers by enabling them to continue grazing on land with installed wildlife practices,” said Jack Bricker, Virginia State Conservationist. “By replacing fescue with native grasses, participants can also improve or maintain average daily weight gains, enhance soil health, and hedge against summer drought with fewer inputs.”
Northern bobwhite quail are a state-identified target species for the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) partnership, a collaborative approach to conserving habitat for declining species on farms and working forests. Our newest WLFW project is designed to help bring back the quail that were once an integral part of Virginia’s farming way of life. Leading researchers like Dr. Pat Keyser of the University of Tennessee’s Center for Native Grasslands Management have documented the wildlife benefits of managed grazing on native summer forages, concluding that this approach actually enhances the habitat for the ground nesting birds.
NRCS accepts applications on a continuous basis but makes funding selections at specific times. If funds are not fully obligated under the first signup period, the next deadline will be January 19. To learn more, please visit your local USDA service center or www.va.nrcs.usda.gov.
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Watch our new video  to learn why Culpeper producer Carl Stafford is such a big believer in this new approach to managed grazing. |
