Ohio Upland

Bird SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ohio 

Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever are partners 

in implementing a State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement 

(SAFE) project to enroll agricultural land in 37 counties in 

western Ohio. The purpose of the Ohio Upland Bird SAFE is 

to establish permanent, year-round habitat for Ring-necked 

Pheasants and Northern Bobwhite Quail.

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 Ohio Upland Bird SAFE project is to provide 

habitat for Ring-necked Pheasants and Northern Bobwhite 

Quail. Ring-necked Pheasants and Northern Bobwhite Quail 

are important to Ohio because they have suffered significant 

population declines and play an important role in the 

economy as a popular game birds.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

the Ohio Upland Bird 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 Ringnecked Pheasants and Northern Bobwhite Quail. The 

habitat being established is diverse grassland habitat that 

will provide nesting, brood rearing, and winter cover. After 

the habitat is established, it will need to be maintained and 

managed by controlling weeds and either disking, herbicide 

application, prescribed burning, prescribed mowing, flash 

grazing, or interseeding to maintain plant diversity. Proper 

habitat establishment, maintenance, and management will 

maximize benefits for Ring-necked Pheasants and Northern 

Bobwhite Quail.

MAY 2023 OHIO
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Ohio Upland Bird SAFE project location includes 

Adams, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, 

Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, 

Fulton, Gallia, Greene, Hancock, Hardin, Highland, Jackson, 

Knox, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Miami, Morrow, 

Paulding, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Seneca, Shelby, 

Union, Williams, and Wyandot counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-4D, SAFE Permanent Wildlife Habitat

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing is permitted according to CRP 

emergency and non-emergency policies and as defined in an 

approved conservation plan.

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.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov/oh
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE)

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

Ohio Upland Bird SAFE Project Map

MAY 2023