The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is soliciting applications for its second year of the California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program (State Winter Flooding Program). The Proposal Solicitation Notice and application can be found here. The enrollment period is currently open and closes this Friday, September 25.
We have been working closely with CDFW to make improvements to the Program ahead of this second year of implementation.
Program Updates
- Annual payment rates have been increased to $15/acre
- CDFW will contact all growers that are currently enrolled at $10/acre to begin the process of amending contracts to the higher payment amount. If existing enrollees would like to add acres enrolled in the program, they must submit a new application for those acres during this application period.
- Allows for contract periods up to two years of winter flooding
- Tenant farmers are now eligible
- Enrolled acres can be rotated around the farm in different years
- Enrolled acres must have been in rice in each of the immediate prior growing seasons during the contract period
- The previous requirement that fields must have been in rice for two of the last three years has been removed.
For questions about enrollment, please reach out to the CDFW staff directly. Jeff Kohl at (916) 373-6610 or Jeffrey.Kohl@wildlife.ca.gov, and Kelsey Navarre at Kelsey.Navarre@Wildlife.ca.gov.
We appreciate the efforts of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, working closely with us on the development and modification of this new program. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Luke Matthews, CRC Wildlife Programs Manager, at (916) 607-8988 or lmatthews@calrice.org.
