United States Department of Agriculture

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**Indiana - March 2007** (ver. 1.0)

**Conservation Program Job Sheet**

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) policy requires newly enrolled
participants, starting with Signup 26, to do some type of "disturbance"
to certain CRP practices during the life of the contract to benefit
wildlife. This job sheet describes that guidance in more detail.

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Normally, mid-contract management activities are conducted between the
4^th^ and 7^th^ year of the contract. However, on land with existing
cover, disturbance activities can begin as soon as technically feasible.

**PRESCRIBED BURNING**

Once established, grassland fields need to be managed so that the
grasses do not crowd out the forbs and/or legumes over time. In the
absence of disturbance, the composition of grassland communities will
change over several years through normal plant succession. The
vegetative structure changes as annual forbs and legumes are replaced by
perennial forbs, grasses, and eventually, woody plants. Changes also
occur structurally, as bare ground declines, litter accumulates, and
vegetation density increases. These changes lead to a decline in
wildlife benefits.

The purpose of mid-contract management activities is to enhance the
wildlife habitat value of the enrolled acres by increasing the amount of
bare soil and by encouraging a diverse forb/legume community. Forbs (any
broadleaf plant) and legumes in grasslands are beneficial to birds,
insects such as butterflies, along with other wildlife. Prescribed
Burning is an effective management tool that can be utilized where the
grassland community has become too thick to benefit the target species.

Fire, if properly applied, can improve grassland habitats by:

-   Creating open ground for wildlife movement by reducing excess plant
    litter,

-   Allowing sunlight to reach the soil surface, encouraging the
    germination and growth of forbs and legumes,

-   Suppressing woody plants, and

-   Retarding the growth of nonnative plants.

In addition, Prescribed Burning removes naturally occurring wildfire
hazards, enhances the aesthetic appearance of natural landscapes, and
keeps maintenance costs low.

The structural diversity that results from this type of management is
especially helpful for maintaining brood-rearing habitat for bobwhite
quail, wild turkey, ring-necked pheasant and other early successional
grassland wildlife species. Prescribed Burning also improves habitat for
a variety of grassland songbirds, including dickcissels, bobolinks and
savannah sparrows. Many of these grassland songbird species have
experienced population declines over the last several decades. The
habitat quality is enhanced because fire inhibits woody growth, promotes
favored seed producing plants, reduces plant residue, increases bare
ground, and increases insect abundance. The insects associated with
annual weed communities provide critical nutrients, including protein,
and essential amino acids for growing nestlings and chicks.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.1458333333333335in"
height="2.3680555555555554in"}**SPECIFICATIONS**

The following are specifications for Prescribed Burning on CRP acreage.
Note that this practice can be used in conjunction with the mid-contract
management technique *Inter-seeding*.

-   **The landowner is responsible for securing a written burn plan
    developed by a qualified individual.**

-   **A written prescribed burn plan must be completed before any fires
    are started.** The burn plan will identify suitable weather
    conditions, needed personnel and equipment, adjacent and in-field
    hazards, and the safest firing method, in addition to the time of
    year to conduct the burn for the best management results.

-   **The landowner is responsible for adhering to the burn plan, as
    well as all applicable local, state and federal laws. Landowners are
    responsible for confining prescribed burns to their lands and are
    liable for damages and costs to others should the fire escape from
    the designated area.**

-   **Only NRCS employees with appropriate training may discuss
    prescribed fire, or write a conservation plan containing prescribed
    fire as a management alternative. NRCS employees are not authorized
    to write burn plans or to assist with igniting or spreading of fire
    for private landowners.**

-   The following chart shows the [maximum]{.underline} area that can be
    disturbed during any year (unless a waiver is received from the Farm
    Services Agency):

+---------------------------+-----------------+------------------------+
|                           | **CP33**        | **All other CP         |
|                           |                 | practices**            |
+---------------------------+-----------------+------------------------+
| **Greater than 1.5        | 1/3 of the area | 1/3 of the area        |
| acres**                   |                 |                        |
+---------------------------+-----------------+------------------------+
| **1.5 acres or less**     | ½ of the area   | ½ of the area          |
|                           |                 | [or]{.underline}       |
|                           |                 |                        |
|                           |                 | the total area         |
+---------------------------+-----------------+------------------------+

-   Environmentally Sensitive Areas will be marked on the plan map to
    ensure Mid Contract Management activities are avoided on these
    areas.

-   Prescribed burning will be avoided on environmentally sensitive
    areas including:

1.  Concentrated flow areas

2.  Critical areas

3.  Within the first 20 feet of a practice that borders a water resource
    to avoid water quality resource concerns

4.  Other areas where gully erosion is likely

-   Rotate fields through a 3-year burning cycle.

-   NRCS eFOTG Standard *Early Successional Habitat
    Development/Management* (647) will be utilized for this practice.

-   Prescribed Burning will [not]{.underline} be performed from **[April
    1 through August 1]{.underline}**, the primary nesting period for
    grassland bird species. It is highly recommended, but is not
    required, that Prescribed Burning be delayed until after August 15,
    reducing the chance of harming fledgling birds and other young
    wildlife.

-   Grassland fields must be established for a minimum of three years
    before initiating burning, and strips will not be burned more than
    once in a two-year period.

-   When Prescribed Burning will be used as site preparation for
    inter-seeding forbs, the burn will result in a seedbed that consists
    of 40-70% bare soil.

-   Erosion will not exceed tolerable limits.

-   Firebreaks will be constructed according to the specifications
    stated in the burn plan. See NRCS FOTG Standard 394 *Firebreak* for
    additional guidance.

**SPECIFICATIONS** (continued)

-   Designated filter strips will be left adjacent to all water bodies
    to maintain water quality. See NRCS Field Office Technical Guide
    (FOTG) Standard 393 - *Filter Strip* for additional guidance.

-   All guidance provided in NRCS FOTG Standard 338 - *Prescribed
    Burning* will be followed.

-   Areas planted to trees will not be burned.

-   Areas planted to shrubs should normally not be burned. However,
    under some circumstances, shrubs can be stunted by fire to produce a
    beneficial low-growing structure. Consult your IDNR District
    Biologist for guidance.

-   The presence of annual weeds (such as foxtail, common ragweed, and
    perennial forbs) is not a concern since these plants are important
    sources of food for wildlife, especially bobwhite quail. The purpose
    of seedbed preparation is to control the density of these annual
    weeds during the establishment year, not to eliminate this group of
    plants.

**CONSIDERATIONS**

-   Consider the following primary components when planning for a
    prescribed burn:

1.  Evaluate the proposed site to determine what the intended objective
    of the burn is, and what conditions are needed to meet the intended
    objective.

> See Table 1.

2.  Prepare a comprehensive burn plan describing all the necessary
    elements to have a safe and effective burn. Consult your local IDNR
    District Biologist for further guidance.

3.  Select trained and qualified persons to write the burn plan and
    conduct the prescribed burn.

-   Fall and late winter burns decrease Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and
    Switchgrass but favor forbs and legumes.

-   Use discretion if soil conditions are dry or drought conditions are
    predicted as burning under these conditions may damage or destroy
    prairie plant crowns and plants.

-   Prescribed Burning should be planned for the least erosive parts of
    fields and not in places where gully formation is a problem.

> CAUTION: If soil erosion is a concern, landowners should rule out a
> fall or early spring burn since the burn will remove plant vegetation
> and make the site more susceptible to erosion from rainfall. Consider
> drilling ½ bushel of winter wheat per acre, between September 15 and
> October 30, to reduce erosion potential.

-   Whenever practical, warm season grass fields should be divided into
    3-5 sections, or units, so that each unit can be managed
    individually. Under these conditions, it would be ideal to burn 33%
    to 20% of your total grasslands in any given year. By having your
    warm season grass fields in various stages of development, you will
    increase plant diversity, which is beneficial to many wildlife
    species.

-   Consider spot spraying or mowing areas where noxious weeds, such as
    Johnsongrass, Canada Thistle, or other warm season invasive species
    exist. This will reduce the potential for unintentional
    establishment of these species.

-   After completion of the prescribed burning, consider planting wheat
    at a rate of one (1) bushel per acre. In addition to adding food and
    habitat structure, wheat may suppress grass growth and increase
    forbs resulting in longer-term wildlife benefits.

**REFERENCES**

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife,
Habitat Management Fact Sheet: *Legume Food Plots*

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife,
Habitat Management Fact Sheet: *Prescribed Burning (draft)*

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife,
*Warm Season Grass Management (draft)*

Natural Resources Conservations Service, Illinois Biology Technical Note
No. 21, *Establishment and Management of Forbs in Grass Plantings*

Natural Resources Conservation Service, Watershed Science Institute,
*Light Disking to Enhance Wildlife Habitat in Grasslands and Oldfields*

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+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| **Table 1. Burn         |                  |                         |
| Objective and           |                  |                         |
| Relationship to Burning |                  |                         |
| Time Frame**            |                  |                         |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| **Burn Objective**      | **Time of Burn** | **Comments**            |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| Prepare tall fescue or  | S                | Time burn to allow      |
| other cool season       | eptember/October | fescue to re-grow 6     |
| grasses for fall        |                  | inches prior to         |
| herbicide application   |                  | herbicide application   |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| Prepare tall fescue or  | S                | Time burn to reduce the |
| other cool season       | eptember/October | amount of residual      |
| grasses for spring      |                  | re-growth prior to      |
| tillage.                | February/March   | tillage                 |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| Increase forb component | August through   | Burn prior to green-up  |
| in established native   | October          |                         |
| grasses.                |                  |                         |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+
| Revitalize a wildflower | August through   | Burn prior to green-up  |
| planting.               | October          |                         |
+-------------------------+------------------+-------------------------+

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