Farm Service Agency plans to increase quail numbers
By WILLIAM J. HARMON
Executive Director
Marion County FSA
Some of you may have wondered at times where all the quail and other upland game birds have gone and why their numbers have seemed to dwindle over the years. But, thanks to the efforts of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and its many partners, efforts and support now exist to improve these conditions.
Northern bobwhite quail are a native species with a historic range in the Midwest and Southeast areas of the country. The birds are a valued inhabitant of farm landscapes, an important aspect of rural culture, and are key to the heritage of hunting.
However, the northern bobwhite quail population has declined dramatically over the past quarter-century. Their habitat is disappearing due to urbanization and increased grassland cultivation.
To underline the bird's importance, the FSA, which has the largest conservation partnership involving private land in the United States, is paying private landowners in 35 states, including Kansas, to set aside land for quail habitat. The Conservation Reserve Program's Northern Bobwhite Quail Habitat Initiative introduced a conservation practice intended to create 250,000 acres of grass habitat buffers along agricultural field borders. FSA's continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is providing the necessary cost share and annual rental incentive payments for enrolling farmers and landowners to create habitat for these desirable game birds.
To date, more than 48,000 acres have been enrolled, with 11,237.1 of those in Kansas. FSA estimates this nesting and brood-rearing cover will increase bobwhite quail numbers by three-quarters of a million birds annually. Planted buffers also will benefit reptiles, amphibians, aquatic species, and upland birds, many of which are being considered for listing as endangered species. In addition, the initiative will reduce soil erosion and protect water quality by trapping field sediments and nutrients
The quail population in each of these states has been studied and organized efforts by wildlife groups and sportsmen's organizations are underway to boost quail populations. They all point to one thing: the need for more habitat. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks working with the Farm Service Agency will begin a quail population sampling this fall.
USDA estimates that through the Northern Bobwhite Quail Habitat Initiative, CRP will provide $125 million in payments to participants through 2007, when the overall statutory enrollment limit is expected to be reached. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and individual state fish and wildlife agencies are providing technical, monitoring, and evaluation assistance.
The Farm Service Agency has partnered with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Quail Unlimited, Southeast Quail Study Group, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Kansas Conservation Districts, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and other conservation groups to provide outreach, technical expertise, and other assistance.
