Playa Lakes Joint Venture
Vol. 8 Issue 2, March 2010
Playa Post
In this issue

 

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Top Stories

Texas NRCS Is Looking for 50,000 Acres to Enroll in Wetlands Reserve Program

  WRP 2010 Rate Caps
 
Figure 1: WRP 2010 Geographic Area Rate Cap

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas is working hard to enroll an additional 50,000 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) this year. To accelerate the number of WRP enrollments, new geographic rate caps have been set for 2010 (see figure 1) and applications are now being reviewed, ranked, and processed more frequently throughout the year.

In addition, the NRCS has developed a state-wide action plan, with greater emphasis on building awareness, and is partnering with state wildlife agencies, conservation districts and non-governmental organizations to spread the word.

"We need to rebuild interest in the program," says Claude Ross, NRCS soil conservationist and WRP program manager for Texas. "Currently, there are very few WRP applications on file."

Changes in the 2008 Farm Bill, increased the total number of acres that can be enrolled in the WRP to more than three million — an increase of over three-quarters of a million acres — and Texas plans to enroll a share of those acres.

"Historically, the NRCS has placed a greater priority on enrollments in the panhandle," says Ross. "This year, we are not only concentrating on the panhandle, but also taking the message — that wetlands are important and need to be protected — to all parts of the state."

From the 1780s to the 1980s, the conversion of native habitats to cropland led to the drainage and alteration of almost 54 percent of the wetlands in the United States, with some states losing as much as 90 percent. The Wetlands Reserve Program, a voluntary partnership between private landowners and the NRCS, provides technical and financial assistance for the restoration, protection, and enhancement of wetlands in exchange for retiring eligible agricultural land. These lands usually have a history of crop failure, low yields or limited use, but when restored provide habitat for wildlife (especially migratory birds), decrease flood damages, improve water quality, and generate alternative income for the landowner.

"I encourage landowners to learn about the Wetlands Reserve Program," says Bill Johnson, a waterfowl biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "The WRP is the best option available to restore playas back to their natural state, including those playas located on marginal farmland. Enrolling acreage in the WRP is an option where all parties profit. Wildlife habitat and water quality are improved, while the landowner retains access for recreational activities such as hunting and wildlife observation."

"Landowners who have wetlands they would like to restore to natural conditions should sign up for WRP as soon as possible. While it is authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, the program is funded annually and is dependent on funds being made available each year," says Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas. "This year we have the funds and are eagerly looking for landowners who can take advantage of them now."

There is no commitment or risk to a landowner who signs up for the Wetlands Reserve Program. Applicants can back out or change their minds prior to formally accepting an offer or signing a contract.

NRCS is currently accepting WRP applications from landowners. For more information enrollments for 2010, visit the Texas NRCS website. Interested landowners should visit their local NRCS field office to complete an application and supply a copy of the deed to their property.

 

Coordinated Effort Has Large-scale Results

Some jobs are just too big for a single organization to handle — like restoring tens of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat along the Canadian River in the eastern panhandle of Texas and western Oklahoma. That’s when a coordinated effort, one that bridges state and county lines, is called for.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) has been working on smaller riparian, or streamside, restoration projects since 2001 and saw the need to step up and control invasive species on a watershed scale.

"The banks of the Canadian River have become infested with invasive plants that have out-competed native vegetation," says Ross Huffman, NWTF regional biologist for West Texas and Oklahoma. "Research has shown that if these areas continue to lose cottonwoods at the current rate, the Rio Grande wild turkey population will decline dramatically over the next 20 years."

The land along the Canadian River is prime habitat for both game and non-game species, including Mississippi Kite, Arkansas River shiner, bell’s vireo, wild turkeys and other wildlife dependent on riparian areas. These areas also keep contaminants from reaching the river and its tributaries, prevent flood damage to nearby communities and croplands, and reduce the need for maintenance to nearby drainage ditches and irrigation canals.

"We need to join stakeholders across jurisdictional boundaries for the common goal of controlling these invasive plants — primarily eastern red cedar, salt cedar and Russian olive — that degrade the wildlife, water and livestock values of riparian areas," says Huffman.

The NWTF's Southern Great Plains Riparian Initiative and North American Wild Turkey Management Plan set the stage for a large-scale project. As a non-profit organization, the NWTF was able to take the lead, coordinate multiple groups and agencies, and build on their relationships with the landowners they had previously worked with.

In 2007, the National Wild Turkey Federation began working with 32 other conservation groups and natural resource and wildlife agencies to address the need for riparian restoration on a large scale, with regional biologist Ross Huffman acting as coordinator. Two years later, in June 2009, the Canadian River Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) was officially organized.

Results quickly followed. In July, the NWTF signed a Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative Agreement with the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that dedicates $500,000 per year for five years through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to the CWMA in Texas. In addition, $250,000 in matching funds will be provided over five years by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; $100,000 will be allocated from the NWTF Hunting Heritage Super Fund; and $25,000 in non-federal matching funds will be contributed through a grant from ConocoPhillips and Playa Lakes Joint Venture. In Oklahoma, the NRCS formed a Local Emphasis Area that dedicated $325,000 per year for three years in EQIP funding. In addition, the NWTF is seeking grants to provide non-federal matching funds for projects in that area.

The cooperation of private landowners is critical to the success of this project, since the majority of the land along the Canadian River is privately owned. Landowner interest in both states has been high, with one-third of the money obligated in a three-week signup period in Texas and all the money obligated in Oklahoma. The on-the-ground restoration work will begin this summer. NWTF expects more than 7,000 acres will be restored in 2010 alone, with more to follow.

"These kind of results can only happen when large groups get organized for landscape-level conservation," says Huffman. "The results really pay off." To other groups wanting to set up a cooperative project, he advises they start early. "It takes time to get everyone moving in the same direction."

This collaborative project targets the Canadian River and its tributaries in Hutchinson, Roberts and Hemphill counties in Texas and Ellis, Dewey and Roger Mills counties in Oklahoma. Landowners who would like to participate in the project can contact their local NRCS District Conservationist. Questions can also be directed to Brandon Houck, NWTF regional wildlife biologist, at (620) 443-5906 or bhouck@nwtf.net.

The 2009-10 salary for the Canadian River Cooperative Weed Management Area Coordinator was partially funded by a Playa Lakes Joint Venture Capacity Grant. The Capacity Grant Program provides member states additional resources to deliver habitat conservation projects that address PLJV priorities. The grants are intended to increase the ongoing capacity of states to develop and deliver habitat projects, rather than directly support habitat, research, and/or education/outreach projects. PLJV encourages grantees to identify bottlenecks in habitat delivery within their state and think about projects/programs that remove or lessen these bottlenecks. For more information, visit the PLJV website or contact Christopher Rustay at (505) 243-0737.

 

PLJV Reports on How Regional Efforts Contribute to International Conservation Plans

As a non-profit organization, Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) meets many accountability standards — from reporting to our management board and grantors to the Internal Revenue Service. As a partner in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), an international action strategy for conserving migratory waterfowl throughout the continent, the Joint Venture also presents reports to the NAWMP Committee about their progress under the plan. Their first triennial report, after being formally evaluated in the fall of 2007, took place in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 8, 2010.

NAWMP is a partnership of federal, state and provincial governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), private companies, individuals and private landowners — all working on programs and projects of international scope, but implemented at the regional and local level. By working together, these organizations and individuals contribute to the conservation of habitat and wildlife, especially waterfowl, across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The purpose of the triennial report is for the joint venture partner organizations to provide an update of their accomplishments toward waterfowl and wetland conservation.

"When I first heard about the triennial report, I was nervous," said Anne Bartuszevige, PLJV’s relatively new Conservation Science Director. "I didn't know what to expect. But it was really fun talking to the Plan Committee and tooting our horn."

In a two and a half hour presentation, Bartuszevige and PLJV Coordinator Mike Carter gave an overview of the programs used at PLJV to advance waterfowl and wetland conservation and recent accomplishments, including:

  • progress on both standard and small North American Wetland Conservation grants,

  • a six-state land cover layer on which an accuracy assessment is currently being completed,

  • gains in knowledge about numbers, location and function of playas,

  • a literature review on climate change and a Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) that will project future grassland conditions, and

  • a literature review on aquifer recharge.

In addition, during the past three years PLJV has funded 367 projects, which provided conservation and reclamation work on over 400,000 upland acres and 149,000 wetland acres, and leveraged over $33 million in partner funds.

"Although Playa Lakes Joint Venture is 20 years old, I think most of the important accomplishments have happened in the last five years," said Carter. "We are really talking about two Joint Ventures — the one that existed in the 1990s and the one that came into existence in 2001."

The NAWMP Committee members had many questions about playas, how PLJV does business, and their policy and communication programs. PLJV is unique in that it is the only joint venture structured and operating as an independent non-profit; most others are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The report was well received by committee members. "The Plan Committee was impressed with the PLJV communication efforts and the creative ways the JV uses to get the word out and stimulate on-the-ground discussions," said Mike J. Johnson, Plan Committee member and Chief of Bird Habitat Conservation for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We also recognize the tremendous value of the PLJV’s analysis of landcover, land use and trend data — and the commitment it has taken to assemble this important database."

To date, NAWMP partners have raised over $3 billion dollars and have conserved more than 13 million acres. This breaks down to $1.81 billion and 4.9 million acres in the United States, and $1.19 billion and 7.1 million acres secured and an additional 1 million influenced in Canada.

 

Weekly Radio Program Showcases What's Happening in Playa Country

How do you follow changes in the Farm Bill? Why are waterfowl counted each year? What should landowners know about wind energy projects?

All these questions and more are answered on Playa Country Radio, a weekly program produced by the High Plains Public Radio news team of Mark Haslett and Lindsey Fields and aired on High Plains Public Radio and other rural radio stations across the Joint Venture region.

Playa Country features interviews with landowners, biologists, resource managers, community leaders and others who are making a difference in the conservation of wildlife habitat in the PLJV region.

Tune in to High Plains Public Radio on Mondays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. CST for these and other upcoming episodes:

  • Setting Research Priorities for Wetlands
  • Setting Research Priorities for Uplands
  • Wind Collaboratives
  • Endangered Species Act 101
  • 2012 Farm Bill

Listen to recent episodes online:

To listen to more Playa Country episodes online, visit the Playa Country Radio Archive or subscribe to High Plains Public Radio’s Playa Country Podcast.

Playa Country is funded by Playa Lakes Joint Venture and the Lannan Foundation.

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Copyright © 2010. Playa Lakes Joint Venture, 103 E. Simpson St., Lafayette, CO 80026