Managing Cropland For Habitat

Filter Strips
CP21

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: A strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forestland) and environmentally sensitive areas.

Benefits: To reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in runoff, to reduce dissolved contaminant loadings in runoff, to serve as Zone 3 of a Riparian Forest Buffer (391), to reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in surface irrigation tailwater, to restore, create or enhance herbaceous habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and to maintain or enhance watershed functions and values.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Firebreaks (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet Riparian Forest Buffer

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Fence (382), Pond (378), Riparian Forest Buffer (391), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds
CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife
CP9

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Managing shallow water on agricultural lands and moist soil areas for wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To provide open water areas on agricultural
fields and moist soil areas to facilitate waterfowl resting and feeding and to provide habitat for reptiles and amphibians and other aquatic species which serve as important prey species for waterfowl, raptors, herons, and other wildlife.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Shallow Areas for Wildlife

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Prescribed Burning (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Bottomland Timberland Establishment on Wetlands
CP31

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Growing bottomland hardwood trees or adapted shrubs that will provide multipurpose forest and wildlife benefits on suitable lands to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To Control sheet, rill, scour, and other erosion; to reduce water, air, or land pollution; to restore and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands; to promote carbon equestration; and to restore and connect wildlife habitat.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative

Possible Practices: Firebreak (394), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Wetland Enhancement (659)

Wetland Restoration
CP23

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: A rehabilitation of a drained or degraded wetland where the soils, hydrology, vegetative community, and biological habitat are returned to the natural condition to the extent practicable.

Benefits: To restore hydric soil conditions, hydrologic conditions, hydrophytic plant communities, and wetland functions that occurred on the disturbed wetland site prior to modification to the extent practicable.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Wetland Restoration

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Success Stories: Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Habitat in East Arkansas

Wetland Restoration -
Non Floodplain
CP23A

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Restore upland and other non-floodplain wetlands to return soils, hydrology, vegetative community and biolotical habitat to the natural condition to the extent practical.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Contour Buffer Strips
NRCS Code 332

Description: Narrow strips of permanent, herbaceous vegetative cover established across the slope and alternated down the slope with parallel, wider cropped strips.

Benefits: To reduce sheet and rill erosion, to reduce transport of sediment and other water-borne contaminants downslope, onsite or off-site, and to to enhance wildlife habitat

Possible Funding: CSP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Filter Strips
NRCS Code 393

Description: A strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forestland) and environmentally sensitive areas.

Benefits: To reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in runoff, to reduce dissolved contaminant loadings in runoff, to serve as Zone 3 of a Riparian Forest Buffer, Practice Standard 391, to reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in surface irrigation tailwater, to restore, create or enhance herbaceous habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and to maintain or enhance watershed functions and values.

Possible Funding: EQIP, CSP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Description: A strip of permanent vegetation established at the edge or around the perimeter of a field.

Benefits: Reduce erosion from wind and water, soil and water quality protection, management of harmful insect populations, provide wildlife food and cover, increase carbon storage in biomass and soils, and improve air quality.

Possible Funding: EQIP, CSP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Grassed Waterway
NRCS Code-412

Description: A natural or constructed channel that is shaped
or graded to required dimensions and established with suitable vegetation.

Benefits: To convey runoff from terraces, diversions, or other water concentrations without causing erosion or flooding, to reduce gully erosion, and to protect/improve water quality.

Possible Funding: EQIP, CSP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment
NRCS Code 380

Description: Windbreaks or shelterbelts are single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs in linear configurations.

Benefits: Reduce soil erosion from wind, protect plants from wind related damage, alter the microenvironment for enhancing plant growth, manage snow deposition, provide shelter for structures, animals, and people, enhance wildlife habitat, provide noise screens, provide visual screens, improve air quality by reducing and intercepting air borne particulate matter, chemicals, and odors, delineate property and field boundaries, improve irrigation efficiency, and increase carbon storage in biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: CSP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation
NRCS Code-650

Description: Replacing, releasing, and/or removing selected trees and shrubs or rows within an existing windbreak or shelterbelt, adding rows to the windbreak or shelterbelt, or removing selected tree and shrub branches...

Benefits: Restoring or enhancing the original planned function of existing windbreaks or shelterbelts.

Possible Funding: CSP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Hedgerow Planting
NRCS Code-422

Description: Establishment of dense vegetation composed of shrubs and/or trees in a linear design in, across, or around a field to achieve a natural resource conservation purpose.

Benefits:To provide at least one of the following conservation functions: food, cover and corridors for terrestrial wildlife, food and cover for aquatic organisms that live in watercourses with bank-full width less than 5 feet, to intercept airborne particulate matter, to reduce chemical drift and odor movement, to increase carbon storage in biomass and soils, living fences, boundary delineation, contour guidelines, screens and barriers to noise and dust, and improvement of landscape appearance

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP, WHIP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Description: Manage early plant succession to benefit desired wildlife or natural communities.

Benefits: Increase plant community diversity, provide wildlife or aquatic habitat for early successional species, and provide habitat for declining species.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Firebreak
NRCS Code-394

Description: A permanent or temporary strip of bare or vegetated land planned to retard fire.

Benefits: Reduce the spread of wildfire and contain prescribed burns.

Possible Funding: EQIP

Fact Sheet: Firebreak

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Prescribed Burning
NRCS Code-338

Description: Controlled fire applied to a predetermined area.

Benefits: Control undesirable vegetation, prepare sites for harvesting, planting or seeding, control plant disease, reduce wildfire hazards, improve wildlife habita, improve plant production quantity and/or quality, remove slash and debris, enhance seed and seedling production, facilitate distribution of grazing and browsing animals, and restore and maintain ecological sites.

Possible Funding: WHIP, EQIP, CSP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Prescribed Burning

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife
CP9

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: Managing shallow water on agricultural lands and moist soil areas for wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To provide open water areas on agricultural
fields and moist soil areas to facilitate waterfowl resting and feeding and to provide habitat for reptiles and amphibians and other aquatic species which serve as important prey species for waterfowl, raptors, herons, and other wildlife.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Prescribed Burning (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Filter Strips
CP21

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: A strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forestland) and environmentally sensitive areas.

Benefits: To reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in runoff, to reduce dissolved contaminant loadings in runoff, to serve as Zone 3 of a Riparian Forest Buffer (391), to reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in surface irrigation tailwater, to restore, create or enhance herbaceous habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and to maintain or enhance watershed functions and values.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Firebreaks (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet Riparian Forest Buffer

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Fence (382), Pond (378), Riparian Forest Buffer (391), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Bottomland Timberland Establishment on Wetlands
CP31

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Growing bottomland hardwood trees or adapted shrubs that will provide multipurpose forest and wildlife benefits on suitable lands to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To Control sheet, rill, scour, and other erosion; to reduce water, air, or land pollution; to restore and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands; to promote carbon equestration; and to restore and connect wildlife habitat.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative

Possible Practices: Firebreak (394), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Wetland Enhancement (659)

Wetland Restoration
CP23

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: A rehabilitation of a drained or degraded wetland where the soils, hydrology, vegetative community, and biological habitat are returned to the natural condition to the extent practicable.

Benefits: To restore hydric soil conditions, hydrologic conditions, hydrophytic plant communities, and wetland functions that occurred on the disturbed wetland site prior to modification to the extent practicable.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Wetland restoration

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Wetland Restoration -
Non Floodplain
CP23A

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffers
CP29

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Plantings of trees and shrubs that are a source of food, nesting cover and shelter for many wildlife species. Pastureland adjacent or parallel to rivers, creeks, seasonal streams, other permanent water bodies, such as lakes & ponds that provide water throughout most of the year. 20-120 feet

Benefits: Restore land or aquatic habitats degraded by
human activity, provide habitat for rare and declining
wildlife species by restoring and conserving native plant communities, increase native plant community diversity, and management of unique or declining native
habitats.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Watering Facility
NRCS Code-614

Description: Develop, improve, or modify watering places and systems for wildlife.

Benefits: Provide adequate drinking water, during critical periods, for wildlife, create or expand suitable habitat for wildlife, and improve water quality and accessibility for wildlife.

Possible Funding: EQIP, Continuous CRP, WHIP, CSP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: A structure in an irrigation, drainage, or other water management systems that conveys water, controls the direction or rate of flow, or maintains a desired water surface elevation.

Benefits: To control the stage, discharge, distribution, delivery, or direction of flow of water in open channels or water use areas. Also used for water quality control, such as sediment reduction or temperature regulation. These structures are also used to protect fish and wildlife and other natural resources.

Possible Funding: EQIP, Ducks Unlimited

Types of Water Control Structures- Ducks Unlimited

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: Manage early plant succession to benefit desired wildlife or natural communities.

Benefits: Increase plant community diversity, provide wildlife or aquatic habitat for early successional species, and provide habitat for declining species.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Bottomland Timberland Establishment on Wetlands
CP31

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: Growing bottomland hardwood trees or adapted shrubs that will provide multipurpose forest and wildlife benefits on suitable lands to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To Control sheet, rill, scour, and other erosion; to reduce water, air, or land pollution; to restore and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands; to promote carbon equestration; and to restore and connect wildlife habitat.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative

Possible Practices: Firebreak (394), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Wetland Enhancement (659)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Riparian Forest Buffer

Description: Establishing woody plants by planting seedlings or cuttings, direct seeding, or natural regeneration.

Benefits: Establish woody plants for: forest products such as timber, pulpwood, and energy biomass, wildlife habitat, long-term erosion control and improvement of water quality, treating waste, storing carbon in biomass, energy conservation, improving or restoring natural diversity, and enhancing aesthetics.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Fact Sheet: Tree/Shrub Establishment

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Tree & Shrub Pruning
NRCS Code 660

Description: The removal of all or part of selected branches, leaders, or roots from trees and shrubs.

Benefits: Improve the appearance of trees or shrubs, e.g., ornamental plants and Christmas trees, improve the quality of wood products, improve the production of plant products, e.g., nuts, fruits, boughs, and tips, reduce fire and/or safety hazards, improve the growth and vigor of understory plants, adjust the foliage and branching density or rooting length for other specific intents, such as wind and snow control, noise abatement, access control, visual screens, and managing competition, and improve health and vigor of woody plants, e.g. disease, insect, and injury management.

NRCS Fact Sheet: Tree/Shrub Pruning

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Tree & Shrub Site
Preparation
NRCS Code-490

Description: Treatment of areas to improve site conditions for establishing trees and/or shrubs.

Benefits: Encourage natural regeneration of desirable woody plants and permit artificial establishment of woody plants.

Fact Sheet: Tree/Shrub Site Preparation

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Forest Stand Improvement
NRCS Code-666

Description:The manipulation of species composition, stand structure, and stocking by cutting or killing selected trees and understory vegetation.

Benefits: Increase the quantity and quality of forest products by manipulating stand density and structur, harvest forest products, initiate forest stand regeneration, reduce wildfire hazard, improve forest health by reducing the potential of damage from pests and moisture stress, restore natural plant communities, achieve or maintain a desired native understory plant community for special forest products, grazing, and browsing, improve aesthetic and recreation values, improve wildlife habitat, alter water yield, increase carbon storage in selected trees.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Forest Stand Improvement

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Firebreak
NRCS Code-394

Description: A permanent or temporary strip of bare or vegetated land planned to retard fire.

Benefits: Reduce the spread of wildfire and contain prescribed burns.

Fact Sheet: Firebreak

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Riparian Forest Buffers
NRCS Code-391

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: EQIP, Continuous CRP, CSP, WHIP

Fact Sheet: Riparian Forest Buffer

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Converting Ag Land to Wetlands, Forest or Grassland

Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife CP9

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Managing shallow water on agricultural lands and moist soil areas for wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To provide open water areas on agricultural
fields and moist soil areas to facilitate waterfowl resting and feeding and to provide habitat for reptiles and amphibians and other aquatic species which serve as important prey species for waterfowl, raptors, herons, and other wildlife.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Prescribed Burning (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Filter Strips
CP21

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: A strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forestland) and environmentally sensitive areas.

Benefits: To reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in runoff, to reduce dissolved contaminant loadings in runoff, to serve as Zone 3 of a Riparian Forest Buffer (391), to reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in surface irrigation tailwater, to restore, create or enhance herbaceous habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and to maintain or enhance watershed functions and values.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Firebreaks (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet Riparian Forest Buffer

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Fence (382), Pond (378), Riparian Forest Buffer (391), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Wetland Restoration
CP23

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: A rehabilitation of a drained or degraded wetland where the soils, hydrology, vegetative community, and biological habitat are returned to the natural condition to the extent practicable.

Benefits: To restore hydric soil conditions, hydrologic conditions, hydrophytic plant communities, and wetland functions that occurred on the disturbed wetland site prior to modification to the extent practicable.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Wetland restoration

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Wetland Restoration -
Non Floodplain
CP23A

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Bottomland Timberland Establishment on Wetlands
CP31

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: Growing bottomland hardwood trees or adapted shrubs that will provide multipurpose forest and wildlife benefits on suitable lands to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Benefits: To Control sheet, rill, scour, and other erosion; to reduce water, air, or land pollution; to restore and enhance the natural and beneficial functions of wetlands; to promote carbon equestration; and to restore and connect wildlife habitat.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative

Possible Practices: Firebreak (394), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Wetland Enhancement (659)

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Description: Manage early plant succession to benefit desired wildlife or natural communities.

Benefits: Increase plant community diversity, provide wildlife or aquatic habitat for early successional species, and provide habitat for declining species.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Description: Establishing woody plants by planting seedlings or cuttings, direct seeding, or natural regeneration.

Benefits: Establish woody plants for: forest products such as timber, pulpwood, and energy biomass, wildlife habitat, long-term erosion control and improvement of water quality, treating waste, storing carbon in biomass, energy conservation, improving or restoring natural diversity, and enhancing aesthetics.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Tree/Shrub Establishment

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffers
CP29

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Plantings of trees and shrubs that are a source of food, nesting cover and shelter for many wildlife species. Pastureland adjacent or parallel to rivers, creeks, seasonal streams, other permanent water bodies, such as lakes & ponds that provide water throughout most of the year. 20-120 feet

Benefits: Restore land or aquatic habitats degraded by
human activity, provide habitat for rare and declining
wildlife species by restoring and conserving native plant communities, increase native plant community diversity, and management of unique or declining native
habitats.

Possible Funding: Continuous CPR

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Description: Manage early plant succession to benefit desired wildlife or natural communities.

Benefits: Increase plant community diversity, provide wildlife or aquatic habitat for early successional species, and provide habitat for declining species.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Pasture and Hay Planting
NRCS Code-512

Description: Establishing native or introduced forage species.

Benefits: Establish adapted and compatible species,
varieties, or cultivars, improve or maintain livestock nutrition and/or health, extend the length of the grazing season, provide emergency forage production, and reduce soil erosion by wind and/or water.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Prescribed Burning
NRCS Code-338

Description: Controlled fire applied to a predetermined area.

Benefits: Control undesirable vegetation, prepare sites for harvesting, planting or seeding, control plant disease, reduce wildfire hazards, improve wildlife habita, improve plant production quantity and/or quality, remove slash and debris, enhance seed and seedling production, facilitate distribution of grazing and browsing animals, and restore and maintain ecological sites.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Prescribed Burning

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Description: A constructed barrier to livestock, wildlife or people.

Benefits: This practice may be applied as part of a conservation management system to facilitate the application of conservation practices that treat the soil, water, air, plant animal and human resource concerns.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22)

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

NRCS Fact Sheet: Riparian Forest Buffer

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Fence (382), Pond (378), Riparian Forest Buffer (391), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645), Channel Stabilization (584), Stream Bank and Shoreline Protection (580)

Channel Stablization
NRCS Code-584

Description: Stabilizing the channel of a stream with suitable structures.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description:Riparian areas are ecosystems that occur along watercourses or at the fringe of waterbodies. Riparian herbaceous cover consists of grasses, grasslike plants, and forbs.

Benefits: Riparian areas provide habitat (food, cover, and water) for aquatic and terrestrial organisms, intercept direct solar radiation, create shade, and maintain the depth to width ratio to help maintain or restore suitable water temperatures for fish and other aquatic organisms while providing a milder microclimate for wildlife, improve and protect water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and other pollutants, such as pesticides, organic, and nutrients in surface runoff as well as
nutrients and chemicals in shallow ground water flow, provide food, in the form of plant detritus, for aquatic invertebrates, help stabilize the channel bed and streambank, to serve as corridors to provide landscape, linkages between existing habitats, provide area for watercourses to evolve toward geomorphic stability, to manage existing riparian herbaceous habitat to improve or maintain desired plant communities, and flood attenuation and energy dissipation.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: Treatment(s) used to stabilize and protect banks of streams or constructed channels, and
shorelines of lakes, reservoirs, or estuaries.

Benefits: To prevent the loss of land or damage to land uses, or other facilities adjacent to the banks, including the protection of known historical, archeological, and traditional cultural properties, to maintain the flow or storage capacity of the water body or to reduce the offsite or downstream effects of sediment resulting from bank erosion, and to improve or enhance the stream corridor for fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetics, recreation

Possible Funding: EQIP, Continuous CRP, CSP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22
NRCS Code-391

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP, EQIP

NRCS Fact Sheet: Riparian Forest Buffer

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Description: Excluding animals, people or vehicles from an area.

Budget: To prevent, restrict, or control access to an area to maintain or improve the quantity and quality of resources, e.g., road and trail closure, seasonal or permanent livestock exclusion, wildlife exclusion and to prevent, restrict, or control access to an area to minimize human health, liability, and safety concerns, e.g., recreational access, trespass, safety zones.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: A stabilized area or structure constructed across a stream to provide a travel way for people, livestock, equipment, or vehicles.

Benefits: Improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, organic, and inorganic loading of the stream, reduce streambank and streambed erosion, and provide crossing for access to another land unit.

Possible Funding: EQIP

Fact Sheet - Stream Crossings

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS Link)

Description: A natural or constructed channel that is shaped
or graded to required dimensions and established with suitable vegetation.

Benefits: To convey runoff from terraces, diversions, or other water concentrations without causing erosion or flooding, to reduce gully erosion, and to protect/improve water quality.

Possible Funding: EQIP, Continuous CRP, CSP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: The National Fish Passage Program uses a voluntary, non-regulatory approach to remove and bypass barriers. The Program addresses the problem of fish barriers on a national level, working with local communities and partner agencies to restore natural flows and fish migration.

Benefits: Fish passage projects increase habitat available for fish spawning and growth, larger fish populations,distributed across more available habitats, natural flows and temperature have been restored for salmon, trout, sturgeon, striped bass, herring and shad, paddlefish, and many more native and declining forage and game species, and fish-eating birds such as eagles, ospreys and kingfishers have more forage, and bears, otters and mink benefit from larger fish populations.

National Fish Passage Program

Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffers
CP29

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Plantings of trees and shrubs that are a source of food, nesting cover and shelter for many wildlife species. Pastureland adjacent or parallel to rivers, creeks, seasonal streams, other permanent water bodies, such as lakes & ponds that provide water throughout most of the year. 20-120 feet

Benefits: Restore land or aquatic habitats degraded by
human activity, provide habitat for rare and declining
wildlife species by restoring and conserving native plant communities, increase native plant community diversity, and management of unique or declining native
habitats.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Filter Strips
CP21

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: A strip or area of herbaceous vegetation situated between cropland, grazing land, or disturbed land (including forestland) and environmentally sensitive areas.

Benefits: To reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in runoff, to reduce dissolved contaminant loadings in runoff, to serve as Zone 3 of a Riparian Forest Buffer (391), to reduce sediment, particulate organics, and sediment adsorbed contaminant loadings in surface irrigation tailwater, to restore, create or enhance herbaceous habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and to maintain or enhance watershed functions and values.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Filter Strips (393), Firebreaks (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Riparian Forest Buffers
CP22

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need.See Possible Practices.

Description: An area of predominantly trees and/or shrubs located adjacent to and up-gradient from watercourses or water bodies.

Benefits: Create shade to lower or maintain water temperatures to improve habitat for aquatic organisms, create or improve riparian habitat and provide a source of detritus and large woody debris, reduce excess amounts of sediment, organic material, nutrients, and pesticides in surface runoff and reduce excess nutrients and other chemicals in shallow ground water flow, reduce pesticide drift entering the water body, restore riparian plant communities, and increase carbon storage in plant biomass and soils.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet Riparian Forest Buffer

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Fence (382), Pond (378), Riparian Forest Buffer (391), Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Wildlife Habitat for Upland Birds CP33

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: Habitat buffers for upland birds are strips of vegetation established around the edges of crop fields to provide habitat for bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and other upland birds. 

Benefits: Buffers provide nesting, brood rearing and escape cover, serve as travel corridors between areas of suitable habitat, may provide habitat for other animals and may limit sediment, nutrients, pesticides and other contaminants from entering streams and other water bodies.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheets:

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burning (338), Restoration or Management of Declining Habitat (643), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Success Stories: Restoration project improves quail population, habitat

Description: Restoring and conserving rare or declining native vegetated communities and associated wildlife species.

Benefits: Restore land or aquatic habitats degraded by human activity, provide habitat for rare and declining wildlife species by restoring and conserving native plant communities, increase native plant community diversity, management of unique or declining native habitats.

Possible Funding: WHIP, EQIP

Sucess Stories: Arkansas Family Restores Tall Grass Prairie - The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Chapter

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Pasture and Hay Planting
NRCS Code-512

Description: Establishing native or introduced forage species.

Benefits: Establish adapted and compatible species,
varieties, or cultivars, improve or maintain livestock nutrition and/or health, extend the length of the grazing season, provide emergency forage production, and reduce soil erosion by wind and/or water.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Prescribed Burning
NRCS Code-338

Description: Controlled fire applied to a predetermined area.

Benefits: Control undesirable vegetation, prepare sites for harvesting, planting or seeding, control plant disease, reduce wildfire hazards, improve wildlife habita, improve plant production quantity and/or quality, remove slash and debris, enhance seed and seedling production, facilitate distribution of grazing and browsing animals, and restore and maintain ecological sites.

Possible Funding: WHIP, EQIP, CSP, Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet: Prescribed Burning

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Description: Managing the controlled harvest of vegetation
primarily with grazing and/or browsing animals.

Benefits: Improve or maintain the health and vigor of plant communities, improve or maintain the availability of quality forage for livestock health and productivity, improve or maintain water quality and quantity, reduce accelerated soil erosion, and maintain or improve soil condition, improve or maintain the quantity and quality of food and/or cover available for wildlife through increased diversity and health of plant composition, and promote economic stability through grazing land sustainability and increased harvest efficiency and utilization.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Fact Sheet - Prescribed Grazing

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)
NRCS Job Sheet (NRCS link)

Description: A constructed barrier to livestock, wildlife or people.

Benefits: This practice may be applied as part of a conservation management system to facilitate the application of conservation practices that treat the soil, water, air, plant animal and human resource concerns.

Possible Funding: EQIP, WHIP, Continuous CRP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Description: A water impoundment made by constructing a dam or an embankment or by excavating a pit or dugout. In this standard, ponds constructed by the first method are referred to as embankment ponds, and those constructed by the second method are referred to as excavated ponds. Ponds constructed by both the excavation and the embankment methods are classified as embankment ponds if the depth of water impounded against the embankment at spillway
elevation is 3 ft or more.

Benefits: To provide erosion control, water for livestock, fish and wildlife, recreation, fire control, crop and orchard spraying, and other related uses, and to maintain or improve water quality.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Heavy Use Area Protection
NRCS Code 561

Description: Protecting heavily used areas by establishing vegetative cover, by surfacing with suitable materials, or by installing needed structures.

Benefits: To stabilize urban, recreation, or facility areas
frequently and intensely used by people, animals, or vehicles.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Spring Development
NRCS Code 574

Description: Collection of water from springs or seeps to provide water for a conservation need.

Benefits: Improve the quantity and/or quality of water for livestock, wildlife or other agricultural uses.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: A device (tank, trough, or other watertight
container) for providing animal access to water.

Benefits: protect and enhance vegetative cover through proper distribution of grazing, provide erosion control through better grassland management, or protect streams, ponds and water supplies from contamination by providing alternative access to water.

Possible Funding: EQIP, Continuous CRP, WHIP, CSP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: Excluding animals, people or vehicles from an area.

Budget: To prevent, restrict, or control access to an area to maintain or improve the quantity and quality of resources, e.g., road and trail closure, seasonal or permanent livestock exclusion, wildlife exclusion and to prevent, restrict, or control access to an area to minimize human health, liability, and safety concerns, e.g., recreational access, trespass, safety zones.

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: A stabilized area or structure constructed across a stream to provide a travel way for people, livestock, equipment, or vehicles.

Benefits: Improve water quality by reducing sediment, nutrient, organic, and inorganic loading of the stream, reduce streambank and streambed erosion, and provide crossing for access to another land unit.

Possible Funding: EQIP

Fact Sheet - Stream Crossings

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS Link)

Wetland Restoration
CP23

Farmers & ranchers who sign up for continuous CRP may use a variety of NRCS approved practices depending on the resource need. See Possible Practices.

Description: A rehabilitation of a drained or degraded wetland where the soils, hydrology, vegetative community, and biological habitat are returned to the natural condition to the extent practicable.

Benefits: To restore hydric soil conditions, hydrologic conditions, hydrophytic plant communities, and wetland functions that occurred on the disturbed wetland site prior to modification to the extent practicable.

Possible Funding: Continuous CRP

Fact Sheet - Wetland restoration

Possible Practices: Early Successional Habitat (647), Firebreak (394), Prescribed Burn (338), Shallow Water Areas-Wildlife (646), Tree/Shrub Establishment (612), Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490), Water Control Structure (587), Wetland Enhancement (659), Wetland Restoration (657), Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)

Description: A wetland that has been created on a site
location which historically was not a wetland or is a wetland but the site will be converted to a wetland with a different hydrology, vegetation type, or function than naturally occurred on the site.

Benefits: To create wetlands that have wetland hydrology,
hydrophytic plant communities, hydric soil conditions, and wetland functions and/or values.

Possible Funding Sources: EQIP, Wetland Reserve Program, Arkansas Wetland Mitigation Bank Program

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: The modification or rehabilitation of an existing or degraded wetland, where specific functions and/or values are modified for the purpose of meeting specific project objectives. Some functions may remain unchanged while others
may be degraded.

Benefits: To modify the hydrologic condition, hydrophytic plant communities, and/or other biological and physical habitat components of a wetland for the purpose of favoring specific wetland functions or values. For example; managing site hydrology for waterfowl or amphibian use, or managing plant community composition for native wetland hay production.

Possible Funding Sources: EQIP, Wetland Reserve Program, Arkansas Wetland Mitigation Bank Program

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Description: Retaining, developing, or managing habitat for wetland wildlife.

Benefits: To maintain, develop, or improve habitat for
waterfowl, fur bearers, or other wetland associated fauna.

Possible Funding: EQIP

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)
NRCS Specification Guide (NRCS link)

Wetland Restoration
NRCS Code-657

Description: A rehabilitation of a drained or degraded wetland where the soils, hydrology, vegetative community, and biological habitat are returned to the natural condition to the extent practicable.

Benefits: To restore hydric soil conditions, hydrologic conditions, hydrophytic plant communities, and wetland functions that occurred on the disturbed wetland site prior to modification to the extent practicable.

Potential Funding Sources: Continuous CRP, EQIP, Wetland Reserve Program, Arkansas Wetland Mitigation Bank Program

Fact Sheet - Wetland restoration

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Description: A constructed shallow water ecosystem designed to simulate natural wetlands.

Benefits: To reduce the pollution potential of runoff and wastewater from agricultural lands to water resources

Possible Funding Sources: EQIP, Wetland Reserve Program, Arkansas Wetland Mitigation Bank Program

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Land Reconstruction, Abandoned Mined Land
NRCS Code-543

Description: Restoring land and water areas that are adversely affected by past mining practices and increasing the productivity of the areas for a beneficial use.

Benefits: Stabilize mined areas so that they can be
used to support desirable vegetation, reduce erosion and sedimentation, enhance water quality or quantity, maintain or improve the visual quality of the landscape, and protect public health, safety, and general welfare.

More Information: Mine Reclamation

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)

Land Reconstruction, Currently Mined Land
NRCS Code-544

Description: Restoring currently mined land to an acceptable form and planned use.

Benefits: Prevent permanent damage to soil and water
resources in and near mined areas, restore the productivity of the soils to their pre-mining level, reduce erosion and sedimentation, and maintain or improve the visual quality of the landscape.

More Information: Mine Reclamation

NRCS Practice Standard (NRCS link)