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The vast majority of land in the PPJV is privately owned and utilized in a variety of farming and ranching operations. Only through effective collaboration with private landowners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can the goals of the PPJV be realized.
The success of the PPJV is enhanced and supported by a number of USDA conservation programs. These programs are critical for improving and protecting the PPJV landscape for wildlife and people. The following five USDA programs play a particularly vital role in the PPJV landscape.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): CRP is designed to set aside highly erodible and otherwise environmentally sensitive cropland for 10 to 15 years in return for annual rental payments. Within the PPJV, CRP is critically important for reestablishing grasslands which provide essential nesting habitat for many duck species and other ground-nesting birds. For example, a PPJV study suggests that between 1992 and 1997, CRP in the prairie pothole region contributed to a 30% improvement in duck production, or 10.5 million additional ducks.
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): WRP funds are used to restore wetlands within agricultural landscapes that can provide wildlife benefits. Landowners can enter into easement contracts for 10 years, 30 years or in perpetuity, WRP provides the PPJV with a valuable tool for continued wetland restoration throughout the region.
Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP): This new program was designed to conserve 2 million acres of grasslands nationwide under a wide variety of easement options, ranging from 10 years to perpetual. GRP represents an opportunity to expand grassland conservation efforts across the PPJV.
Wetland Conservation Provisions/Conservation Compliance: Commonly known as “Swampbuster,” this program requires that farmers maintain certain wetland conservation standards in order to be eligible for specific types of USDA program benefits. Swampbuster plays a vital role in protecting prairie wetlands, particularly temporary and seasonal wetlands which are critical to duck production. Recent GIS assessments indicate that if all the small potholes in crop fields were drained in the prairie pothole region, the average annual breeding duck population in this are would decline by nearly 50%.
Highly Erodible Land Conservation Provisions/Conservation Compliance: Commonly known as “Sodbuster”, this program requires farmers to have an approved conservation plan for erodible lands that are farmed in order to remain eligible for certain USDA benefits. Contrary to widely held perceptions, sodbuster in its current form is not intended to prohibit conversion of native grasslands to other uses, but rather is primarily designed to reduce erosion on highly erodible land.
