Washington Palouse 

Prairie SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Department of Fish and Wildlife are partnering on a State 

Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) project to enroll 

agricultural land in portions of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, and 

Whitman counties in Washington state. Historically Palouse 

Prairie was the dominant habitat type in southeastern 

Washington and adjacent northern Idaho; now less than 1% 

of historic Palouse Prairie habitat remains. The Washington 

Palouse Prairie SAFE is vital to conserving, connecting, and 

enhancing the remaining habitat in the region. The project’s 

purpose is to conserve and enhance Palouse Prairie habitat 

at a landscape scale and increase connectivity between 

patches of native prairie to benefit multiple species including 

pollinators, the giant Palouse earthworm, ring-necked 

pheasant, white-tailed deer, and mule deer.

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 Washington Palouse Prairie SAFE project 

is to conserve remnant Palouse Prairie habitat and provide 

additional habitat to benefit giant Palouse earthworm 

and ring-necked pheasant, while also providing essential 

migration corridors, refugia, and forage for white-tailed deer, 

mule deer, and pollinators.

AUGUST 2023 WASHINGTON

Photo by Alan L Bauer, WDFW

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

Washington Palouse Prairie SAFE are required to develop 

a conservation plan with assistance from the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service or a technical service 

provider. The conservation plan will provide details on how 

to plant, establish, and manage habitat for pollinators, giant 

Palouse earthworms, ring-necked pheasants, white-tailed 

deer, and mule deer. The project establishes a variety of 

habitats including prairie grasslands/shrublands (meadow 

steppe and shrubsteppe), draws and patches dominated 

by deciduous shrubs and trees, riparian areas dominated 

by deciduous shrubs and trees, and wetlands and moist 

meadows dominated by herbaceous plants. After the habitat 

is established, it will need to be maintained and managed 

by activities such as herbicide and mechanical weed 

treatments, light disking, rotary clipping, prescribed burning, 

harrowing, and inter-seeding to create plant diversity for 

the benefit of wildlife and enhancement of the permanent 

cover. Proper habitat establishment, maintenance, and 

management will maximize benefits for pollinators, giant 

Palouse earthworms, ring-necked pheasants, white-tailed 

deer, and mule deer.
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Washington Palouse Prairie SAFE project encompasses 

3,528 square miles (about 2.26 million acres) within portions 

of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, and Whitman counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38A-21, SAFE Filter Strips

 CP38A-22, SAFE Riparian Forest Buffer (MPL not 

eligible for this SAFE project)

 CP38B-23, SAFE Wetland Restoration

 CP38B-23A, SAFE Wetland Restoration, NonFloodplain

 CP38B-27, SAFE Farmable Wetland

 CP38B-28, SAFE Farmable Wetland Buffer

 CP38C-25, SAFE Rare and Declining Habitat — Palouse 

Prairie

 CP38E-4D, SAFE Permanent Wildlife Habitat

 CP38E-2, SAFE Permanent Native Grasses

 CP38E-25, SAFE Rare and Declining Habitat — Palouse 

Prairie

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

Photo by David Woodall, WDFW

Haying and Grazing

Although the 2018 Farm Bill allows haying and grazing on 

all CRP practices, haying, and grazing are not allowed on any 

Washington State SAFE practices.

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/wa

Washington Palouse Prairie SAFE Project Map

AUGUST 2023