Texas Praire SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Parks & Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pheasants Forever/

Quail Forever, Playa Lakes Joint Venture are partners in 

implementing a State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) 

project to enroll agricultural land in 71 counties in the High 

Plains and Rolling Plains of Texas. The purpose of the Texas 

Prairie SAFE is to create, restore, and manage blocks and 

corridors of native prairie habitat to support and reconnect 

populations of Lesser Prairie-Chickens, Northern bobwhite 

quail, and other grassland wildlife species.

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 Texas Prairie SAFE project is to provide 

habitat for Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Northern Bobwhite 

quail, and other grassland wildlife species. Lesser PrairieChickens, Northern Bobwhite quail and the short and 

mixed grass prairies that they are dependent upon are 

important to Texas because they provide significant 

cultural value to the regional community. They contribute 

to the regional economy through legal hunting and bird 

watching. Conservation of this habitat is analogous with 

habitat required by populations of huntable game species 

such as deer, turkey, ring-necked pheasant, northern 

bobwhite, and scaled quail, as well as providing forage for 

livestock when managed appropriately.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

Texas Prairie 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 short and mixed grass 

prairie wildlife species. The habitat being established is 

diverse native grassland appropriate for the site. After the 

habitat is established, it will need to be maintained and 

managed by prescribed fire. Inter-seeding and managed 

grazing when appropriate. Proper habitat establishment, 

maintenance, and management will maximize benefits for 

Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Northern Bobwhite quail, and other 

grassland wildlife species.

AUGUST 2023 TEXAS
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Texas Prairie SAFE project is located within Andrews, 

Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, 

Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Concho, 

Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, 

Donley, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, 

Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, 

Hemphill, Hockley, Howard, Hutchinson, Jones, Kent, King, 

Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mitchell, 

Moore, Motley, Nolan, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, 

Randall, Roberts, Runnels, Scurry, Sherman, Stonewall, 

Swisher, Taylor, Terry, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Wheeler, 

Wichita, Wilbarger, Yoakum, and Young counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-4D SAFE Permanent Wildlife Habitat

 CP38A-33 SAFE Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds

Haying and Grazing

Non-Emergency Haying or Grazing is only permitted 

on CP38E-4D, CP38E-33 acres when conducted as 

a maintenance or mid-contract management activity 

prescribed and under guidance by NRCS or a qualified TSP.

Emergency Haying or Grazing is permitted on enrolled 

Herbaceous Cover according to 2-CRP Manual, Paragraph 

681.

Haying and grazing, regardless of whether it is under 

emergency or non-emergency authorization on the same 

acres is limited to no more than once every three years. 

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

Acres impacted by emergency and non-emergency haying 

are limited to not more than 50 percent of contract acres in a 

calendar year.

Prescriptions for haying or grazing under any circumstance 

are required to leave a minimum stubble height of the 

primary forage species present in the field according to 

NRCS Practice Specifications. All haying shall use flush bars 

or haying from center of field to outer edge. All haying and 

grazing activities must take place outside of the primary 

nesting season (1 March–1 July).

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/tx

Texas Prairie SAFE Project Map

AUGUST 2023