Landowner Assistance

On the Ground

Study Proves CP33 Pays

Shrubby, mixed-grass buffers help quail and other wildlife—but does this CP33 treatment help the farmer’s bottom line? According to a recent study, the answer is yes.

The University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) found that CP33 of the Conservation Reserve Program returned 25 cents to $2.49 per acre per year. FAPRI cautions that these findings do not represent all farms, but apply most where tree growth along field edges reduces crop yields. In these situations, whether corn is bringing $2 or $4 per bushel, CP33 pays.

Holt County farmer Karl Noellsch agrees. “What looked good to me was not having to farm these highly erodible acres,” he said. “It’s usually poorer soil, and you’ve got trees hanging out over it. We don’t make much money off those places.”

Want to know if you qualify for CP33? Contact your local private land conservationist or call your regional Conservation Department office.

Help for Landowners

Call your PLC for a free habitat consultation.

If you want better wildlife habitat on your rural property, give your local private land conservationist (PLC) a call. Trained in a wide range of habitat-development approaches, Conservation Department PLCs offer aid in pond management, stream improvement techniques, native-plant restoration and wildlife-friendly agricultural methods. PLCs can also help you find state and federal cost-share programs that can help you finance new management practices.

Contractor Workshops

Web site has upcoming dates and locations.

If you’re in the contracting business, you might want to add habitat management to your services. State and federal cost-share programs have created the need for contractors who can implement conservation management plans—yet few are qualified to do the work.

To help bridge the gap between lack of know-how and opportunity, the Department has joined the Missouri Agri-Business Association to offer Conservation Contractor Training workshops in 2008. Workshop topics include forest management, prescribed burning, native grass establishment and an overview of state and federal conservation programs. Most sessions will have both classroom and outdoor field exercises. The dates and locations for the spring workshops are not yet finalized, but they will be posted online.