Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said agricultural producers in 22 parishes may be eligible for financial assistance to create bird habitat on their land.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers in portions of 22 parishes to develop and enhance habitat for migrating birds.
The program is offered through Louisiana NRCS' Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, an initiative Ducks Unlimited is partnering with NRCS to deliver.
NRCS will work with agricultural producers to create or enhance shallow-water, mud-flat and moist-soil habitats to benefit a variety of migratory birds.
The plan will create habitats that will provide food and critical habitat for bird populations, much-needed water during drought conditions, financial support for local economies by attracting hunters and birdwatchers and new opportunities to improve wildlife management.
Strain said Ducks Unlimited partnered with the Louisiana NRCS after
the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
“This seems to me to be the natural progression of that partnership,” Strain said. “It could be very beneficial to agricultural landownerers and sportsmen.”
Jerry Holden, director of Ducks Unlimited conservation programs said the plan will help ensure that there are sufficient migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl along the Gulf Coast.
Eligible areas for Louisiana's 2012 Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative include portions of the following parishes: Acadia, Allen, Assumption, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne and Vermilion.
Strain said interested landowners should visit their local NRCS office as soon as possible because the application window for the first Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative ranking pool ends May 18.
Funding for the 2012 MBHI will be provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Applications for EQIP funding are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year; however, to be considered in the first MBHI ranking pool, applications must be received by close of business on May 18. Interested producers should contact their local NRCS office or visit http://www.la.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/MBHI/index.html for more information. |