The California Rice Commission was awarded a $5.5 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to help increase the availability of conservation practices for rice producers in California. The first major enrollment period is currently underway and the deadline to apply is fast approaching.
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For rice producers who are planning to idle any acres this growing season, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has a program that could help wildlife by maintaining seasonal upland nesting habitat on those acres. As a part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), NRCS is currently soliciting applications for rice fields that can provide quality nesting cover for waterfowl during the spring and summer. They are interested in fields that will be idled during the 2022 growing season and have cover crops or significant volunteer vegetation on them. Ultimately, this program will provide an incentive payment to leave vegetation undisturbed for the waterfowl nesting season (April 1 – July 15) and allow access to monitor nesting activity.
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The California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation is currently soliciting applications for its Spring 2022 Bid4Birds habitat program. Applications are submitted through the Foundation website and the enrollment window is open until this Sunday, January 30.
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The California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation (Foundation) is pleased to announce the upcoming enrollment period for the Spring 2022 Bid4Birds habitat program.
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A documentary program about a major Sacramento Valley environmental success story will make its television debut next week.
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Notices were sent out today by email to all applicants of the Rice Drought Relief Waterbird Program. This notice provided information about the applicants enrollment status.
Here’s a link to background on the program.
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In response to the extreme drought in California’s Central Valley and the expected reduction in critical wetland habitat for Pacific Flyway waterfowl and other waterbirds, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has made $2 million available this winter to private wetlands in the Sacramento Valley to increase the amount of available wintering habitat for migratory birds. Several organizations including the California Rice Commission, California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, Point Blue Conservation Science and Audubon California have teamed up to provide drought relief for wetlands and help offset the costs of flooding private wetlands with groundwater in winter 2021-2022. For more details or to apply for the program please view this flyer.
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You have less than one week to apply for a special program to help wildlife endure the drought. The California rice industry has teamed up with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to fund a special $8 million Drought Relief Waterbird Program. This program seeks to create waterbird habitat through the operation of groundwater wells to winter flood rice fields for migratory birds. The program will be rolled out on an expedited timeframe, given the rice harvest schedule this year.
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Ducks Unlimited and California Waterfowl are thinking hard about ways that rice growers can make their fields as valuable as possible for ducks, even in this severe drought when decomp water will be hard to come by this fall.
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Due to the dry conditions and a serious need for shorebird habitat the California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation has made two changes to its program this year to increase the flexibility for growers.
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