United States Department of Agriculture 645-CPS-1

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November 2022

NRCS reviews and periodically updates conservation practice standards. To obtain the current 

version of this standard, contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service State office or 

visit the Field Office Technical Guide online by going to the NRCS website at 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ and type FOTG in the search field. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD 

UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT MANAGEMENT 

CODE 645 

(ac)

DEFINITION 

Provide and manage upland habitats and connectivity within the landscape for wildlife. 

PURPOSE 

This practice is used to accomplish one or more of the following purposes: 

• Treating upland wildlife habitat concerns identified during the conservation planning process that

enable movement, or provide shelter, cover, food in proper amounts, locations and times to sustain

wild animals that inhabit uplands during a portion of their life cycle 

CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES 

Land where the decision maker has identified an objective for conserving a wild animal species, guild,

suite or ecosystem. 

Land within the range of targeted wildlife species and capable of supporting the desired habitat. 

CRITERIA 

General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes 

A habitat evaluation or appraisal, approved by the NRCS state office, shall be used to identify habitatlimiting factors in the planning area. 

Application of this practice shall remove or reduce limiting factor(s) in their order of significance, as

indicated by results of the habitat evaluation. 

Application of this practice alone, or in combination with other supporting and facilitating practices, shall

result in a conservation system that will enable the planning area to meet or exceed the minimum planning

criteria for wildlife habitat established in Section III of the FOTG. 

Establish additional criteria for components of this practice including, but not limited to: 

• vegetation establishment for shelter, food and to enable movement; 

• structural measures to provide shelter, food or enable movement; and 

• manipulation of vegetation to sustain desirable habitat conditions over time. 

Plant material specifications shall include only high quality and adapted species. 

Site preparation, planting dates, and planting methods shall optimize vegetation survival and growth. 
Equipment travel, grazing, haying and other disturbance to habitat shall be restricted during critical

periods such as nesting, brood rearing, fawning or calving seasons. States may establish exceptions

when certain disturbance causing activities are necessary to maintain the health of the plant community

and control noxious weeds. 

Control of regulated noxious weeds and invasive plants shall be specified. 

CONSIDERATIONS 

This practice may affect the target species as well as non-target species though mechanisms such as

hunting, predation, disease transmission, nest parasitism, etc. Consider effects of this practice on species

with declining populations. 

Wildlife population control may be necessary to protect and maintain certain habitats. This is a

responsibility of the landowner. State and federal regulations may apply to population control methods. 

Undisturbed areas conserved at a sufficient extent during management activities, may sustain

disturbance-intolerant animals and plants. 

Other conservation practices that may be utilized in conjunction with this practice to create a wildlife

management plan include: 

Pasture & Hay Planting (512) 

Wildlife Watering Facility (648) 

Early Successional Habitat Development/Management (647) 

Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats (643) 

Wildlife Habitat Planting (420) 

Structures for Wildlife (649) 

Tree/Shrub Establishment (612) 

Range Planting (550) 

Prescribed Grazing (528) 

Prescribed Burning (338) 

Forage Harvest Management (511) 

Use Exclusion (472) 

Riparian Forest Buffer (391) 

Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390) 

Forest Stand Improvement (666) 

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS 

NRCS shall ensure that plans and specifications for this practice are prepared by persons with adequate

training in the fields of wildlife management, biology or ecology. 

Written specifications, schedules and maps shall be prepared for each planning area and each habitat

type. 

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Specifications shall: 

• Identify the amounts and kinds habitat elements, locations and management actions necessary to

achieve the client’s management objectives. 

• Describe the appropriate method, timing and intensity of management needed to produce the

desired habitat conditions and sustain them over time. 

Specifications shall be transmitted to clients using NRCS approved specifications sheets, job sheets, or

customized narrative 

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE 

The following actions shall be carried out to ensure that this practice functions as intended throughout its

expected life: 

• Evaluate habitat conditions on a regular basis in order to adapt the conservation plan and schedule

of implementation. 

• Annually inspect and repair structural or vegetative components of this practice. 

REFERENCES 

Bolen, Eric and William Robinson. 2002. Wildlife Ecology and Management 5th Edition. Prentice Hall, 656

pp. 

Bookhout, T.A. (ed.). 1996. Research and Management Techniques for Wildlife and Habitats, 5th Ed.

Wildlife Society, 740 pp 

Rayne, Neil F. and Fred C. Bryant. 1994. Techniques for Wildlife Habitat Management of Uplands.

McGraw-Hill, Inc., 841 pp. 

Silvey, N.J. (ed.), 2012. The Wildlife Techniques Manual; Research 7th Edition, Volume 1. The Johns

Hopkins University Press, 686 pp. 

Silvey, N.J. (ed.), 2012. The Wildlife Techniques Manual; Management 7th Edition, Volum 2. The Johns

Hopkins University Press, 414 pp. 

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. National Biology

Manual. Title 190, Washington, DC. 

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2004. National Biology

Handbook. Washington, DC.

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