Conservation Corner: October 30, 2000

Conservation Buffers Improve Water Quality
by James L. Cummins

A conservation buffer is strip or parcel of land that exist next to environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands, streams or rivers. Filter strips, field borders, grassed waterways, field windbreaks, shelterbelts, contour grass strips and riparian (streamside) buffers are all examples of conservation buffers. Conservation buffers conserve soil, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, conserve biodiversity, beautify the landscape and improve water quality.

According to Clarke Reed, Chairman of Wildlife Mississippi, "As the original stewards of our land, farmers and landowners long have known that the best management practices include the use of conservation buffer strips to control the runoff that impairs the quality of Mississippi's waters."

Homer Wilkes, State Conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) stated, "NRCS and USDA's Farm Services Agency have several programs that provide incentive payments to farmers and landowners for establishing buffers, including the 'continuous sign-up' option of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program."

Land enrolled as conservation buffers in CRP will receive an annual rental payment. This payment is based on the relative productivity of the soil type being offered and the average dryland cash rental rate for comparable land in the county. A 20 percent incentive is added to the annual rental rate for field windbreaks, grassed waterways, filter strips, and riparian buffers. A 10 percent incentive is added to the annual rental rate for land within designated wellhead protection areas.

Cost-sharing, at a rate of 50 percent, is available to establish the desired cover, which in many cases is a cover that will meet many needs of wildlife. Practices eligible for cost-sharing include, but are not limited to, the following: site preparation, temporary cover until permanent cover is established, grading or shaping, seeds, trees or shrubs, plastic mulch and supplemental irrigation or fencing. Contracts under the continuous CRP sign-up are 10-15 years in length, depending on the practice.

Annual rental payments are made after October 1 of each year. Cost-share payments are made after the approved practices are completed.

Other programs of USDA also can help with the cost of implementing buffer practices. These include the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Wetland Reserve Program and the Stewardship Incentives Program.

To apply, contact your local USDA Service Center or conservation district office. You don't have to make a competitive offer as required of other programs. Your offer will be automatically accepted if all eligibility requirements are met.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.