Cost share and Incentive Programs

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters offer a variety of programs to private landowners to improve wildlife habitat on their land. Below are the programs that chapters can participate in which receive state funding from the Pheasant and Habitat Funds. Not every chapter participates in the below projects (each local chapter determines how to spend locally raised dollars). To participate in any of the below programs a landowner must have a sponsoring chapter.

To apply for one of the below cost-share or incentive programs, landowners should complete the application and submit it to their local chapter. Funding will be granted to landowners who are sponsored by their local chapter based on available funds.

Download the 2010 Incentives & Cost-share for Wildlife Habitat Booklet Download the 2010 PF/QF Habitat Assistance Program Application

Incentive Programs

  • Max CRP – ($50/acre payment) - when it comes to wildlife habitat, wider is better. Landowners who enroll 20+ acre blocks or 120’ buffers into CRP practices are eligible to participate in this program.
  • Buffer Our Natural UplandS (BONUS) - ($50/acre payment) - we want to build habitat complexes near our state-owned wildlife habitat areas to reinforce those populations. Only landowners who enroll CRP practices in the same section or an adjacent section to one of these wildlife habitat areas are eligible to participate in this program.

Grassland Establishment

Undisturbed nesting cover and brood rearing cover (ie grasslands) are the most limiting factors affecting pheasant, quail and other bird populations. In fact, more acres of prairie grasslands have been lost than any other habitat type. Here are a few cost share programs to help landowners establish the right habitat for wildlife.

  • Warm Season Grass Mix Establishment (up to $75/ac eligible) - a balanced mix of native warm season grasses and forbs provides high quality nesting and brood rearing cover for upland game birds.
  • Cool Season Grass Establishment (up to $30/ac eligible) - if frequently managed, cool season grasses can provide excellent nesting cover for upland game birds.
  • Switchgrass Establishment (up to $40/ac eligible) - besides a big cattail marsh or thick conifer planting, there’s nothing better than a robust stand of switchgrass for providing winter cover for pheasants.

Grassland Enhancement

  • Warm Season Grassland Upgrade (up to $75/ac eligible) - Old CRP is dominated by a handful of grasses and few, if any forbs. Upland game birds thrive in grasslands with a balanced number of forbs and grasses. Remove your old CRP cover with a burn and inter-seed a qualifying forb mix to see more wildlife!
  • CSG Upgrade (up to $25/ac eligible) - A mix of cool season grasses with forbs/legumes can be excellent nesting cover, but in a few years the sod-forming grasses dominate resulting in little nesting cover value. Reinvigorate these desserts with a great CSG forb interseeding!
  • Fescue Conversion (up to $120/ac) - want to convert that degraded fescue or brome field to a diverse WSG planting? We’re here to help!

Grassland Management

  • Burning (up to $25/ac eligible) - a prescribed fire can re-invigorate native grass / forb stands and increase productivity for grassland birds.
  • Woody Cover Removal (up to $200/ac eligible) - some grasslands have been invaded by woody cover (autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, etc) which need to be removed to improve grassland value for nesting birds.

Other Available Services

In addition to funding support through cost share and incentives, many of our chapters offer other services to landowners including:

  • Specialized Habitat Equipment
  • Prescribed Burning Services
  • Habitat Installation Services

Important Notes About Eligibility

  • Any changes to an active CRP contract must be approved by your local USDA office PRIOR to the change occurring.
  • Only actual expenses (receipts required) will be reimbursed.
  • Payments limited to expenses not reimbursed by other programs. For example, if a landowner buys seed for WSG establishment at $80/acre and receives 50% cost share and a 40% practice incentive payment, only 10% of the eligible ($75) amount, or $7.50; can be reimbursed through this program.
  • Payments cannot be “stacked” on the same acre. For example, a landowner cannot receive a $75 payment for seed AND a $25 payment for burning for WSG establishment on the same acre.

How to apply

  • Find out if your local PF/QF chapter is participating in these cost share programs. If you don’t know your local PF/QF chapter leaders, ask at your local USDA service center or call one of the PF/QF regional wildlife biologists.
  • Complete the application form for the program you are applying and deliver it along with the required documentation to your local PF/QF chapter.
  • If approved, your local chapter will reimburse your eligible expenditures.
    Note: Not all PF/QF chapters participate in all of the programs listed in this booklet so it is important that you confirm with the chapter their participation before assuming you will receive assistance.

Questions???

Aaron K. Kuehl, Certified Wildlife Biologist
IL Director of Conservation Programs
Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever
akuehl@pheasantsforever.org
(217) 341-7171 (mobile)