Mississippi Black Bear Habitat 

Restoration in the Mississippi 

Alluvial Valley SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), The Nature 

Conservancy, and the Bear Education and Restoration 

Group of Mississippi are partners in implementing the 

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) project. Our 

partner’s goal is to encourage enrollment of agricultural 

land within the Black Bear Habitat Conservation Priority 

Areas as specified by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) in Mississippi. The purpose of the Mississippi 

Black Bear Habitat Restoration in the Mississippi Alluvial 

Valley SAFE is to establish bottomland hardwood forests to 

support stable black bear populations by providing forage, 

den, and escape habitat needed by the black bear. These 

areas would also provide larger landscape-level habitat 

needs of black bear by establishing corridors between 

existing forest block and protected areas.

Background

SAFE is part of the USDA Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP). CRP is a federally funded voluntary program that 

contracts with landowners and agricultural producers to 

establish and manage vegetative covers that control soil 

erosion, improve water quality, and provide wildlife habitat. 

SAFE is a unique type of CRP that offers organizations 

the opportunity to partner with the USDA to establish 

habitat for high-priority wildlife species on agricultural 

land. SAFE sponsors work with the USDA to identify the 

wildlife species, the vegetative cover that provides habitat 

for the target species, and the location in the state where 

the habitat is needed. A partnership is formed between the 

SAFE sponsor and the USDA, and federal funds are made 

available to allow for CRP enrollment on eligible land within 

the SAFE project location.

Target Wildlife Species

The goal of the Mississippi Black Bear Habitat Restoration 

in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley SAFE project is to provide 

habitat for the Louisiana Black Bear and Eastern Black Bear. 

The Louisiana Black Bear and Eastern Black Bear are an 

integral part of Mississippi history. Native Americans used 

the black bear as a source of food, clothing, and goods 

for trade with European traveler. Bear hunting became a 

popular sport in Mississippi, which is known for the Teddy 

Roosevelt’s Hunt. Due to extensive deforestation and 

forest fragmentation in the 20th century led to significant 

population declines in the black bear population.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

the Mississippi Black Bear Habitation Restoration in the 

Mississippi Alluvial Valley SAFE are required to develop a 

conservation plan with assistance from the USDA Natural 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or a technical 

service provider. The conservation plan will provide details 

on how to plant, establish, and manage habitat for the 

Louisiana Black Bear and Eastern Black Bear. The habitat 

being established is Bottomland hardwood forests and 

semi-permanent wetlands. After the habitat is established, 

it will need to be maintained and managed by chemical 

or mechanical treatment to increase native bear forage 

openings, if desired, and to control undesirable species in 

planted areas. Areas can also be managed with prescribe 

burning or light disking to control woody vegetative and 

improve habitat conditions. Proper habitat establishment, 

maintenance, and management will maximize benefits for 

Louisiana Black Bear and Eastern Black Bear.

JUNE 2023 MISSISSIPPI
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Mississippi Black Bear Habitation Restoration in the 

Mississippi Alluvial Valley SAFE project location is located 

within the Black Bear Habitat Conservation Priority Areas 

in Adams, Bolivar, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, Desoto, 

Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Leflore, 

Panola, Quitman, Sharkey Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, 

Tunica, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson, and Yazoo counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38B-23, Wetland Restoration on Floodplain

 CP38B-23A, Wetland Restoration on Non-floodplain

 CP38C-3A, Bottomland Hardwood Trees

 CP38C-31, Bottomland Timber on Wetlands

Haying and Grazing

No haying or grazing allowed.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov/ms

Eligibility Requirements

Because SAFE is part of CRP, certain land and participant 

eligibility rules apply. To begin with, land must be in the 

project area and meet cropping history. CRP participant 

eligibility rules also apply to SAFE.

Payments and Incentives

In exchange for participation in CRP SAFE, the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) provides participants with annual 

per acre rental payments, cost-share to assist with habitat 

establishment expenses, and in some cases additional 

monetary incentives.

For More Information

This fact sheet is provided for informational purposes only; 

other restrictions or requirements may apply. Consult your 

local FSA office for details. For more information, contact 

your local service center and USDA Farm Service Agency 

office: farmers.gov/service-locator.
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov/ms

Mississippi Black Bear Habitat Restoration in the Mississippi 

Alluvial Valley SAFE Project Map

JUNE 2023