Kansas
Cost Share Opportunities and Options
Ducks Unlimited
Manager of Conservation Programs
Matthew Hough
mhough@ducks.org
308-850-2717
Farm Service Agency
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
CRP is a voluntary USDA program that removes environmentally sensitive agricultural land from production and establishes long-term conservation cover. It improves soil erosion control, water quality, and wildlife habitat. Enrollment options include General CRP, Grassland CRP, Continuous CRP, SAFE, CLEAR30, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and Farmable Wetlands. Contracts are administered by FSA, with technical support from NRCS, state agencies, conservation districts, and approved partners.
Payment Rates
Annual rental payments.
Cost share assistance for establishment.
Contract lengths are typically 10 to 15 years.
Contact Information
Contact your local Farm Service Agency office for more details.
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices
Website
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs?assistance_type%5B0%5D=12
Habitat One
Free Food Plot Seed
To help ensure wildlife have access to adequate nutrition during these challenging conditions, Habitat One has established a Free Food Plot See Program. This program is designed to assist landowners in providing reliable winter food and cover for wildlife through the establishment of dedicated food plots.
Contact Information
Brooke Fricke
Operations and Administration Manager
Phone: 308-362-7061
Email: brooke@habitat-one.org
Mule Deer Foundation
Private Lands Program
The Private Lands Program supports grazing infrastructure and management improvements, including virtual fencing and alternative grazing strategies. The program also funds replacement of degraded or obsolete fencing with wildlife-friendly fencing, as well as grazing management planning, regenerative grazing practices, wildlife habitat and ecosystem restoration, riparian restoration and protection, strategic wildlife crossings, and invasive species control. Wildlife-focused water developments in arid or seasonal habitats are also supported.
Payment Rates
No funding cap. Funding is pooled from multiple organizations.
Contact Information
Casey Nordine, Dakota Grasslands Habitat Partnership Coordinator
Phone: 605-209-6804
Email: casey@muledeer.org
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- Protects agricultural viability and related conservation values
- Limits nonagricultural uses that negatively affect agricultural land
- Protects grazing uses by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land
- Protects, restores, and enhances wetlands on eligible land
- Includes Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE)
Payment Rates
- Dependent on the project
- Matching funds required to be funded.
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
- Competitive program supporting development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies
- Advances natural resource conservation on private land
Payment Rates
- Dependent on the project
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
The Conservation Stewardship Program rewards producers who maintain existing conservation practices and implement additional enhancements on working lands. The program encourages long-term stewardship and continual improvement.
Payment Rates
Annual stewardship payments are provided.
Contracts last five years with minimum annual payment thresholds.
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers for addressing natural resource concerns such as soil, water, air quality, and wildlife habitat. The program is designed to support a wide range of conservation practices.
Payment Rates
Typically, EQIP offers a 50 to 60 percent cost share.
Rates depend on the conservation practices implemented.
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
Regenerative Pilot Program
- Regenerative Agriculture is a conservation management approach that emphasizes natural resources through improved soil health, water management, and natural vitality for the productivity and prosperity of American agriculture and communities.
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- Promotes coordination of NRCS activities with partners
- Expands the ability to address on farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns
- Supports on the ground conservation activities implemented by farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners
Eligible Activities
- Land management and land improvement or restoration practices
- Land rentals
- Entity held easements
- United States held easements
- Public works and watershed projects
Payment Rates
- Typically 50 to 60 percent cost share
- Dependent on the practices utilized
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives
Watershed Programs
- Watersheds impact everyone; every community, farm, ranch, and forest. They provide a vital resource for all living things to survive and thrive. All watersheds are interconnected, creating a land-water system that conveys water to its final destination such as a river, lake, wetland, or estuary.
Contact Information
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for more details.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas
Website
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Habitat First
Find general practice descriptions, payment rates, and contact info here: ksoutdoors.com.
Some common practices include:
Cover crops
Brood strips
Invasive tree control
Patch burn grazing systems
Shrub plantings