California Waterfowl Association is currently soliciting landowner applications for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program. The program is designed to enhance waterfowl nesting habitat this spring and summer.
READ MORE
This week marks the start for incoming Wildlife Programs Manager, Kristin Sesser. While Kristin is new to the role, she is already very familiar with our conservation programs, working on many firsthand out in the field.
READ MORE
We are looking for fallow rice fields that will be idled during the 2023 growing season and have cover crops or significant volunteer vegetation on them. The RCPP will pay rice farmers $24.71/acre to leave vegetation undisturbed for the waterfowl nesting season (April 1 – July 15) and allow access to monitor nesting activity. To sign up, please visit your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office and ask about this practice.
READ MORE
The California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation is currently soliciting applications for its Spring 2023 Bid4Birds Habitat Program. Applications are submitted through the Foundation website and the enrollment window is open until Monday, January 30, 2023.
READ MORE
The California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation (Foundation) is soliciting applications for the Bid4Birds Program which pays rice farmers to flood their fields beyond the typical post-harvest winter flooding period for the benefit of waterbirds. For more details and to apply, visit the Foundation’s website: calricewaterbirds.org/bid4birds-overview
READ MORE
If you are interested in participating or enrolling in any of the RCPP practices this year, you must get your application into in your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office by Friday, January 13, 2023. See below for a list of the available practices this round.
READ MORE
The California Rice Commission’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is now well underway, and the next enrollment opportunity is approaching. New enrollment opportunities include key upland habitat enhancements on non-cropped areas of farms as well as cover crop planting for next fall and winter seasons. Winter flooding practices are also available. If you are interested in the upland habitat component or want to get an early application in for practices next winter, please visit your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to get your application completed. Applications must be submitted to your local NRCS office by January 13, 2023.
READ MORE
California Waterfowl has a new Rice Levee Pilot Program that will pay farmers to provide waterfowl nesting habitat on levees/checks during spring and summer. This program is currently accepting applications and will be using a bid system.
READ MORE
Reclamation District 108 (RD108) and California Trout are soliciting applications for the Fish Food Program, which pays rice farmers and wetland managers to flood their fields for a few weeks and drain the water (full of food) to fish-bearing waterways to benefit fish. Landowners do not have to be in RD 108 to apply.
Application deadline is October 7, 2022.
READ MORE
The California Rice Commission hosted a workshop last week to provide information about all of the ongoing conservation programs that are available for rice producers this year. The workshop was very well attended and below is a summary of the programs that were covered.
READ MORE