Statewide Quail Habitat Restoration Initiative (QHRI)

Program Description

Northern Bobwhites (quail) have declined throughout much of Oklahoma due to habitat loss and fragmentation. This decline of what many described as an icon of rural living prompted the development of a 5-year initiative in 2007 to advance restoration efforts.

The Quail Habitat Restoration Initiative will continue to operate under the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) in 2009 to provide financial assistance payments to landowners willing to restore and manage quail habitat. Restoration efforts will center on “Focal Areas” that have been identified as having a high potential for eliciting population growth and expansion. Conservation efforts are intended to provide multiple benefits to agriculture production, water quality and habitat restoration to other wildlife species of special concern.

Quail Habitat Focal Areas

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) aided in identifying areas where restoration efforts are deemed to be most likely to succeed. The Suitability Model along with discussions with resource professionals, and information on local conservation needs, agriculture production, USDA program activity, threat of conversion and partnership opportunities were used to identify Focal Areas.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.
 
Map of Quail Habitat Focal Areas (PDF; 40 KB)

Central Hardwoods Focal Area

• Adair, Cherokee, and Delaware counties

Eastern Tall Grass Prairie Focal Area

• Craig and Mayes counties

Mixed Grass Prairie Focal Area

• Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Major, Roger Mills, Woods, and Woodward counties

Oaks and Prairies Focal Area

• Atoka, Bryan, Coal, Johnston, Murray, and Pontotoc counties

Western Gulf Coastal Plain & Ouachitas Focal Area

• Coal, Hughes, and Pittsburg counties

Eligibility and Application Process

In addition to meeting normal EQIP eligibility requirements of being an eligible agricultural producer on eligible land, a landowner must have land located within the emphasis area. If a landowner has land that falls outside of the emphasis area but is contiguous with land under the same ownership within the emphasis area that land is still eligible. Conservation practices in croplands can be applied when they provide a corridor to link (within ¼ mile) existing native plant communities in excess of 80 acres each.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis, but only those received by April 1, 2009, will be considered for the initial selections.  Funding selections will be made on or before May 22, 2009, exclusively from those applications received. Applicants may apply by completing the NRCS-CPA-1200 Application Form and Appendix and submit it to their local NRCS Field Service Center.

The following document requires Adobe Acrobat.
 
EQIP Program Application (NRCS-CPA-1200) and Appendix (PDF; 34 KB)

State Program Contact

Richard Zetterberg
Resource Conservationist
Phone: 405-742-1208
Email: Richard Zetterberg

For additional information and assistance, contact your local NRCS Field Service Center.

Last Reviewed/Modified: 05/22/2009

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