# CRP



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Wildlife officials say loss of CRP acres could hurt hunters

MINOT (AP) - North Dakota wildlife officials are worried that a potential sharp decrease in Conservation Reserve Program acres next year could hurt wildlife populations.

The CRP pays farmers to idle erodible land and plant cover crops on it, which makes ideal habitat for wildlife. Next year, federal contracts expire on 1.7 million acres - half of the state's CRP acreage - meaning farmers can once again work that land.

"Our wildlife population will take a huge hit when the CRP goes out," said Kevin Kading, private lands program leader for the state Game and Fish Department.

Some farmers will have the option of re-enrolling their CRP acres for another 10 or 15 years at an increased rental payment, but only if the land meets certain environmental qualifications. Others can also still re-enroll their land, but for fewer years and no increase in payments.

"The worst you can do is a two-year extension," said Grant Buck, executive director of the Farm Service Agency office in Ward County. The federal Farm Service Agency administers the CRP program.

"Only the highest 20 percent (in terms of environmental benefit) will be offered the opportunity for a new rental rate."

Kading said a lot of landowners are unsure what to do with their CRP acres when their contracts expire.

"Some say, 'The first chance I get it's coming out,'" he said. "Others say (the land) never should have been broken in the first place and that one of the main reasons they signed up for CRP is that they like wildlife."

Kading said his agency has sent a questionnaire to CRP contract holders, hoping to get an indication of how much CRP land might be lost. Hunters worry that if the acreage is large, it will hurt all kinds of wildlife.

"It's certainly made a noticeable difference in the game," said Bismarck hunter Mike Donohue. "Everything has profited by it ... deer, grouse, pheasants and even predators."

A total of 2.2 million of the 3.4 million CRP acres in North Dakota will expire in the next two years.

"This will be a pivotal transition," Buck said.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

CRP wildlife habitat may soon disappear

By KIM FUNDINGSLAND, Staff Writer [email protected]

North Dakota's wildlife population has benefitted greatly from the Conservation Reserve Program. CRP acreage has had a direct effect on the state's pheasant and deer population. Both have taken a liking to habitat created by CRP and their populations have increased dramatically. However, North Dakota's days of record numbers of wildlife may be numbered.

Landowner contracts for 1.7 million acres of CRP land in North Dakota are due to expire next year with more to follow. The actual contract expiration date is Sept. 30, 2007. Farmers and ranchers that elect to drop from the CRP program can work the land early in 2007, even breaking it up entirely, meaning that the effect on wildlife will be felt well before the fall hunting seasons of 2007.
"I don't know what kind of value you'd put on CRP as far as wildlife goes," says Kevin Kading, private lands program section leader for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. "Our wildlife population will take a huge hit when the CRP goes out."

The 1.7 million acres of CRP referred to by Kading represents 50 percent of the state's CRP acreage. Many landowners haven't yet decided whether to re-enroll in the CRP program. They are currently receiving letters from the Farmer's Service Agency letting them know what their future options are in regard to CRP.

"A lot are not sure what they are going to be doing," stated Kading. "I don't think they are really prepared for it. The feeling I get is quite mixed. Ask me again in a couple of weeks."

According to Kading, some landowners will not have many choices for their current CRP land. The FSA is rating existing CRP acres according to a national environmental benefit index or EBI. Only acreage receiving a rating in the top 20 percent will receive offers to re-enroll for an additional 10 or 15 years. Those landowners would also receive an updated rental payment.

CRP holders that don't rank in the top 20 percent can still re-enroll in the program, but not for increased dollars and for fewer years. For example, CRP acreage with a rating of 60 to 80 percent will be offered five-year contracts. Lower rated acres, according to the EBI, will be offered even shorter contracts. How landowners will react to the new rating system is difficult to predict.

"Some say, the first chance I get it's coming out. Others say it never should have been broken in the first place and that one of the main reasons they signed up for CRP is that they like wildlife," said Kading.

The state's sportsmen, along with the Game and Fish Department, are keenly aware that game populations will diminish according to how many CRP acres disappear from the landscape. Many hunters recall the quality of hunting prior to the implementation of CRP and are concerned about the changes that may be coming.

"It's certainly made a noticeable difference in the game. Everything has profited by it.....deer, grouse, pheasants and even predators," says long-time hunter Mike Donohue of Bismarck. "CRP actually helps reduce pressure. Things are spread out more and the hunters aren't so concentrated. It'll be back to woody draw type of stuff and fencelines if we lose CRP."

Donohue's thoughts were shared by fellow hunter Leon Levesque of Minot. "Before CRP it was slim pickin's and no birds to speak of except for grouse," recalled Levesque. "It wasn't too good. The deer were pretty much limited to coulees and not up on the flats."

Of the 850,000 acres enrolled in the state's Private Land Open To Sportsmen (P.L.O.T.S.) program, 200,000 is CRP contract land with a 2007 expiration date. Less CRP and fewer P.L.O.T.S. will put more hunting pressure on the remaining areas. There's no crystal ball to gaze into to tell what the future holds for much of the state's prime hunting land.

"We've sent out a questionnaire in the hopes of preparing ourselves a little bit," stated a concerned Kading. "We're kind of feeling helpless right now."


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I think the weather has more to do with wildlife population than anything else in ND. Sure habitat is nice if it isn't covered with 5 feet of snow.

Everyone can hope, wish and even think they know whats best and it just don't matter when it can all be wiped out in one day of terrible weather. But in the mean time it's nice to have these nice winters who knows it could be nice again next year. 

Not living in pheasant country probably gives me a different outlook.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

To me the equation is simple:

Dramatic loss of CRP = Dramatic loss of wildlife numbers


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

If you don't have the habitat to grow the pheasants, deer, mallards and predators then the blizzrds won't matter. How can you say that habitat doesn't matter?......some of you younger guys that never hunted before the CRP would be amazed as to how the land looked and the lack of game, relatively speaking, compared to this time period.

Not to mention that any land that is left after the CRP goes out will more than likely be controlled by the remaining outfitters in the state and the PLOTS land are basically ALL CRP right now. If you think it's crowded in some areas now......just wait!

Habitat has to be maintained....somehow. It'll be one of the main goals that our GnF will have to adjust to in the future. Unless we can come up with a way to use the game and fish funds to lease lands then things are going to get pretty tight in the state in terms of access.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> If you don't have the habitat to grow the pheasants, deer, mallards and predators then the blizzrds won't matter. How can you say that habitat doesn't matter?......


CRP hasn't changed much around here, I'm in ranch/cattle country. I think you have put the cart before the horse FH, there wouldn't be habitat if it didn't rain or snow. Just thank God for the pleasant winters we have been having and Pray for more.

I have some CRP this year it was surrounded by sunflowers, guess where all the grouse and deer are? If you guess CRP sorry you are wrong.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

All good things come to an end. All we will need is one good blizzard after everything comes out and bye bye pheasants. I have to agree with Buckseye some what. Many of the CRP acres can't support wildlife in the winter. In the first go around we had Switchgrass which held up good in the winter. Sadly these intellegent or as they think nerdy wildlife biologists came to the conclusion it was no good and had to be destoyed. Now the only help we have is cattail sloughs. Once we start farming again they will burnt off in the fall and eventually farmed. This will lead to disaster for the pheasants. On the plus side of this we will no longer have to argue about non resident hunters,or outfitters they will not be around anymore. We will have shooting preserves close to larger towns for the elite.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

You want to see what the landscape will look like w/o CRP????

Go to southern Manitoba and Sask.....


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Ken...that's where everyone want's to go hunting these days isn't it? Sure alot of talk on here about hunting waterfowl across the border, do you suppose it's because they have a food source for the waterfowl, couldn't be could it


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

buckseye....not for upland game.Plus the duck hatch is abysmal up there.Which is why the Dakotas are the number 1 nesting region for ducks.And the geese mostly nest in the Arctic.

Interesting that Canada is looking at establishing some kind of CRP program and we will probably cut back on ours.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Does ND have more upland hunters or more waterfowl hunters including NR's on both? Maybe trying to have both of the best hunting areas in one state won't work.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I believe the numbers are getting real close to 50-50 as to res. vs. non-res. for both waterfowl and upland.Although upland is difficult to access because non-res. can buy more than 1 license.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Thanks Ken... so people want the best of both worlds, is it possible?



> "We've sent out a questionnaire in the hopes of preparing ourselves a little bit," stated a concerned Kading. "We're kind of feeling helpless right now."


That is from the Minot Daily article.

That's to funny, "we've sent out a questionnaire to prepare ourselves a little bit" :lol: "We're kinda feeling hopeless right now"

If they are overwhelmed they better stand back and let somebody else have a crack at it.

Maybe Kading's name is really Ka ching :lol:


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Kading is a stand up guy with a tough job. NDGF needs to know what landowners are going to do with their CRP. Heck, I wish someone would tell me. From what I've read it doesn't sound like western ND will get theirs back in. Most of the big blocks around here will probably go also. Enjoy the next 2 seasons.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Another thing people should be aware of is a bunch of PLOTS contracts will expire also.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Dick....yes,sounds like SW No.Dak is in trouble with CRP since they don't have many potholes out there and that will be a priority.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

I am just speculating but I am going to say that the sw is one area where the economics of CRP and wildlife will remain in the firm grip of the outfitters. There may be big chunks going out because of the new plant in Richardton. Late season hunting may be very good out there if all of the land goes into corn but the landowners out there already know that. So I see little if any change in the SW hunting climate. You can bet that it will all be blamed on the legislation again.

Bob


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Pre-CRP there were a few WPAs that had pheasants because they were released, the NDGF even had a small program for it. A real good year of hard hunting might produce a dozen birds.

g/o, you're right about switch grass, best pheasant cover hands down. There are still a few left and in a hard winter the birds will eat the seed. BCWF had an offer in to USFW to try some reseeding of WPA uplands with dense nesting cover/switch grass mix. It fell through when the manager was bumped up the ladder.

NDGF might want to consider a partnership with USFW to renovate some of those WPAs that have gone over to Junegrass. Be good for local folks to get involved also.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Of course I'm right Dick ever known me to be wrong?  The problem you will have is the USFW could care less about upland or deer. That is why you see no trees on WPA they could care less about them. They are concerned about only one thing, waterfowl. They want the best nesting for them and could care less what happens out here in the winter. I argued with the boys in DC about the value of winter cover out here. They said thank you and it went in one ear and out the other. But good luck with your quest.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

If it isn't the weather causing the influx of birds than how come SD, NE have always had a lot of pheasants even before CRP, could it be that it is warmer and more typical of their prime habitat down there.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Buckseye, A combination of things, one big one you're correct the weather. We have had mild winter 3 years in a row and the available cover with CRP and cattails. We've always had good numbers of pheasant in the southern counties of ND. That is why when PLOTS was established in only targeted these areas.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

exactly g/o.... I was just trying to get someone from down there to write that. There were a lot of pheasants there before I was born 50 years ago. As a matter of fact the old timers tell of days when the whole state was loaded with pheasant then the weather got wetter and colder and the birds couldn't take it.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Buck



> The ring-necked pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota. It came from China. People brought the first pheasants here in the 1890s. Then the State Game Department began raising and releasing birds. Soon there were enough to hunt. The first pheasant-hunting season was in 1919. It was held in Spink County. Hunters were allowed to shoot just two male birds, or roosters. Only two hundred pheasants were killed that year. As the numbers of pheasants grew, so did the hunting season. Soon pheasant hunters could shoot more birds. In 1944, the season began in September and went through February of the next year. Hunters could shoot ten birds a day. Hunters shot more than six million pheasants that year.


SD has had a better run of pheasants than ND because of the climate and Habitat. CRP has added to it. The area that I have hunted the most is in the Winner ,Kennebec area and the native habitat down there is CRP like to begin with, along with that the river bottoms add to the cover.

Habitat does not have everything to do with the upland population but it is a key factor.

Bob


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I realize the habitat is so the birds have good hiding places and food, maybe if they loose a lot of their hiding places you guys will kill them all. I can see that happening maybe that is what everyone is worried about.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Buckseye, Hunters will never kill all the birds. If we loose CRP mother nature will wipe out most of them for us. Like I say at least some will not have to worry about non residents anymore.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

> I realize the habitat is so the birds have good hiding places and food,


More than that is good nesting cover. It is not just for pheasants either, deer, ducks and many other species use it. Not mayn creatures produce young on a gravel road or a plowed field.

:beer:

Bob


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I'm kinda curious how will nature wipe out the pheasant down there if CRP goes a way. Wouldn't a severe winter storm wipe them out CRP or not? From what I read about the early snow storm last fall many were worried the birds got tangled up in the tall grass covered with snow and would die. Well the temps saved them last fall not the habitat, if it would have been much colder many of your worst nightmares would have come true.

I agree CRP is and has been nice but I don't think it is necessary for survival in this state. It is probably most important to the people who don't own land to have an easy and convenient place to play the sport of hunting. 

Oh Bob on the comment about roads and such, in 97 I counted over 50 baby ducks in one mile of gravel road ditch. Why were they there, the weather.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Buckseye, What will happen when CRP comes out is we will farm everything again. The slough's will get burned off in the fall and plowed. Now mother nature with a storm as last fall will hurt some pheasants but not that many. In the winter pheasant as now are in there winter homes catails and tall grass. They are like a human they like to be warm in the winter also. When the weather turns nice the breeding cycle starts and they move to open areas. This is when we loose our birds a blizzard at this time. In the winter of 97 we had birds until spring. All are snow was gone and flooding was about over. This was pre GForks going under then it started as rain,turned to sleet then snow and blizzard. This is what got the birds same thing happened in 66. 66 is a classic example we had just gotten rid of Soil Bank. The blizzard of 66 hit and bye bye pheasants. Will history repeat itself? Get rid of CRP and I'll guarentee it.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Will people really farm all the highly erodible land again? I would hope most have sense enough not to open up land that they seem to have agreed wasn't proper for farming in the first place.

My guess some will be pasture and some will be hay land too, you guys and your doomsday predictions are kind of funny :lol:


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Buckseye, Not preaching doomesday just pointing out the facts. You bet we will farm that highly erodible ground again. Lots of things have changed the last 20 years in agriculture. One of the biggest is no till farming, we no longer work the ground to death. Guys are not going to put $1500 an acre farmland in to pasture.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

If it's $1500 farmland it shouldn't have been in the program in the first place, shysters. :lol: I hope the ones who took advantage and put good farmland in CRP are left out in the rain on the next program. Are you admitting to taking just a little bit of advantage of the CRP program??


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

The Future of C-R-P

On Tuesday, February 14th, at 1pm KFYR Radio Farm Director Al Gustin will host and moderate discussion on the future of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Other panelists involved, include Jim Jost of the North Dakota state Farm Service Agency office and Dr. Larry Leistritz, an agricultural economist from NDSU.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Ken,

Is that discussion going to broadcast at all?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I don't know anyhting about it other than this news release.


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## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

Ken, Gustin is usually on at 12:45, unlike kfgo they break away from Rush for 1 hour. At 1 Rush comes back on and you surely don't want to have people turning into him.


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## dieseldog (Aug 9, 2004)

Seems like you all are worried about losing cover now that it is there but then bash a guy for putting some land in that was marginal to good land. So do you want CRP or not. If you are so worried about losing the cover that is out there then quit complaining about farm program subsidies and open your taxpayer wallet if you want the cover to stay. Also it sounds like the first round of CRP that is up for renewal has a good chance of getting back in. Our CRP that expires in 07 is eligible to be reenrolled but the stuff in 08-09 is questionable.


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## roostman (Jan 20, 2006)

won't some of the plots land take some of the pressure of some of the CRP coming out? It's seemd like every year they put more and more land into plots. Have we ever thought about putting out a CRP stamp, kindof like are habitat stamp but something that could go back into a CRP fund or plots fund? I bet most hunters would pay twenty five or even fifty bucks into stamp if they new it was going into more habitat. Just a thought?


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

dieseldog I agree  Although there's a few on here who I know would never complain about CRP subsidies.


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