South Dakota Western 

Grassland Wildlife Habitat SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and South 

Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and 

Pheasants Forever, Inc. are partners in implementing a 

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) project to 

enroll agricultural land in the western half of the state. The 

purpose of the South Dakota Western Grassland Wildlife 

Habitat SAFE is to provide breeding, nesting, brood rearing, 

winter, and foraging habitat for sharp-tailed grouse, shorteared owls, and grasshopper sparrows.

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 South Dakota Western Grassland Wildlife 

Habitat SAFE project is to provide habitat for sharp-tailed 

grouse, short-eared owls, and grasshopper sparrows. 

These birds are important to South Dakota because their 

populations are declining primarily due to grassland loss 

and fragmentation. They prefer to nest in tall, dense cover 

such as is typically provided by CRP and are of high or 

moderate conservation priority in South Dakota.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

South Dakota Western Grassland Wildlife Habitat 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 sharp-tailed grouse, short-eared owls, 

and grasshopper sparrows. The habitat being established 

is grassland and wetland vegetation. After the habitat is 

established, it will need to be maintained and managed 

according to a plan which may include Mechanical 

Disturbance, Prescribed Burning, Non-emergency Grazing, 

Non-emergency Haying, Inter-seeding, or a combination 

of more than one of these activities. Proper habitat 

establishment, maintenance, and management will maximize 

benefits for sharp-tailed grouse, short-eared owls, and 

grasshopper sparrows.

JULY 2023 SOUTH DAKOTA
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The South Dakota Western Grassland Wildlife Habitat SAFE 

project is located in Bennett, Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, 

Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, 

Mellette, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Perkins, Todd, and 

Ziebach counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38B-23 Wetland Restoration

 CP38B-23A Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain

 CP38B-27 Farmable Wetlands

 CP38B-28 Farmable Wetland Buffer

 CP38B-37 Duck Nesting Habitat

 CP38E-1 Establishment of Permanent Introduced 

Grasses and Legumes

 CP38E-2 Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses

 CP38E-4D Permanent Wildlife Habitat

 CP38E-12 Wildlife Food Plot

 CP38E-18B Establishment of Permanent Vegetation to 

Reduce Salinity

 CP38E-18C Establishment of Permanent Salt Tolerant 

Vegetative Cover

 CP38E-25 Rare and Declining Habitat

 CP38E-42 Pollinator Habitat

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

Photo by Mark Norton, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing is allowed according to CRP emergency 

and non-emergency policies and as defined in an approved 

conservation plan, with emergency haying always restricted 

to 50% of the acreage.

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/sd

South Dakota Habitat for Pheasants SAFE Project Map

JULY 2023