Missouri
Cost Share Opportunities and Options
Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund
Seed a Legacy
The Seed A Legacy Pollinator Habitat Program works with private, public, and corporate landowners across a multi-state Midwest and Great Plains region, including Missouri, to establish high-quality pollinator habitat that benefits honey bees, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators. The program provides high-quality seed mixes free of charge for projects between 2 and 25 acres, along with personalized support from the program’s biologists to help ensure successful establishment and long-term habitat health. More than 7,000 acres of habitat have been established to date.
Eligibility
Applications are accepted year-round; final Fall enrollment decisions are made around September 1 and final Spring enrollment decisions around March 1.
Website
Ducks Unlimited
DU Conservation Programs
Over the past 30 years, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 120,000 wetland and grassland acres in Missouri, investing more than $21 million in wetland habitat. Major projects include enhancement and restoration work at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Schell Osage and Duck Creek Conservation Areas, and the John R. Belz wetland at Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge. In recent years DU and its partners have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to protect, enhance, or restore wetland and grassland habitat across the state.
Website
Farm Service Agency
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides annual rental payments and cost-share assistance (up to 50%) to landowners who establish approved conservation cover – such as native grasses, trees, riparian buffers, or pollinator habitat – on eligible cropland. Continuous CRP signup for high-priority practices is available year-round through local FSA county offices.
Contact Information
Contact your local county office for more information.
Website
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 Seed 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
Brooke Fricke, Operations and Administration Manager | Phone: 308-362-7061 | Email: brooke@habitat-one.org
Missouri Department of Conservation
Landowner and Community Assistance Program (LCAP)
The Landowner and Community Assistance Program (LCAP) is MDC’s cost-share program supporting private landowners, communities, government entities, and other organizations in implementing conservation practices. Payments can cover up to 75% of project costs, plus flat-rate incentives, especially for projects using Missouri-sourced seed or prioritizing pollinator habitat. Eligible practices include planting native grasses or pollinator habitat (including milkweed for monarchs), site preparation, prescribed burning, disking, herbicide treatments, timber stand improvement, tree and shrub plantings, and installing wildlife- and agriculture-friendly watering systems and fencing.
In fiscal year 2025, MDC private land staff made over 7,000 site visits covering 226,440 acres, developed conservation plans covering more than 153,000 acres, and provided $3.75 million in cost-share assistance to landowners.
Getting Started
Contact your local MDC Private Land Conservationist to schedule a site visit and develop a habitat plan.
Website
Mule Deer Foundation
Private Lands Program
The Mule Deer Foundation maintains active chapters in Missouri, including the Ozark Plateau Chapter and the Ha Ha Tonka Chapter, which support deer habitat conservation, youth outreach, and local volunteer habitat projects. Members can connect with their regional director to learn about chapter activities and funding opportunities.
Website
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits, including wildlife habitat improvement. Eligible practices include prescribed grazing, brush management, native grass and forb establishment, wetland restoration, and pollinator habitat. EQIP also offers Conservation Incentive Contracts (CIC), which provide additional incentive payments for ongoing management of priority resource concerns, including wildlife habitat.
Payment Rates
Cost-share rates vary by practice and are set annually by the state NRCS office. Many wildlife habitat practices are eligible for enhanced incentive payments through EQIP-CIC.
Contact Information
Contact your local county office for more information.
Website
nrcs.usda.gov/contact/state-office-contacts/missouri-state-office
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
CSP rewards producers who maintain and improve existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resource concerns – including wildlife habitat enhancement – on working agricultural land and non-industrial private forest land.
Payment Rates
Annual payments are based on the conservation performance of the producer’s entire operation, with enhanced payments available for installing new conservation activities.
Contact Information
Contact your local county office for more information.
Website
nrcs.usda.gov/contact/state-office-contacts/missouri-state-office
Pheasants Forever
Missouri Habitat Challenge Grant
Missouri is home to 30 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters with nearly 4,000 members statewide. The organization’s Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists help landowners with prairie restoration, grazing management, pollinator habitat establishment, and restoration of glades and woodlands. Chapters also support larger initiatives such as the Missouri Habitat Challenge Grant and the Path to the Uplands Initiative, including a recent 510-acre addition to the Linscomb Wildlife Area in St. Clair County that restores prairie habitat and expands public access along the Osage River.
Website
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF)
Habitat Enhancement Grant Program
RMEF and its partners have allocated funding for conservation and hunting heritage projects in Missouri, including planting forage across 350 acres on the Peck Ranch Conservation Area and Ozark National Scenic Riverways within the Missouri Elk Restoration Zone, deploying trail cameras to monitor the state’s elk population, and supporting youth shooting sports and archery programs. There are 10 RMEF chapters across Missouri.
Website
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
The Missouri Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in restoring wetland, riparian, and upland wildlife habitat. There is no application deadline – landowners can contact the Missouri Ecological Services Field Office at any time to discuss a project.
Contact Information
Missouri Ecological Services Field Office – contact information available through the office’s website.