Tennessee Bobwhite 

Restoration SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Quail Forever of 

Tennessee are partners in implementing a State Acres for 

Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) project to enroll agricultural 

land in fourteen counties in west Tennessee, eight counties 

in middle Tennessee, and six counties in east Tennessee. 

The purpose of the Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration 

SAFE is to develop critical vegetative covers that will 

provide high quality nesting, brood-rearing, protective 

woody cover, and winter thermal cover necessary for 

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other declining 

wildlife species that depend on native “early successional” 

vegetation types and travel corridors between existing 

habitat blocks.

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 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 sponsors 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 Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration SAFE 

project is to provide habitat for Northern Bobwhite. 

Bobwhite quail are important to Tennessee because they 

have experienced steep decline due to vast changes 

in farming, other land use practices, and urban sprawl. 

Bobwhites have the highest wild population density in 

West TN but continue to experience declines even in 

those counties.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration SAFE are required to 

develop a conservation plan with assistance from the 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or 

a technical service provider (partner planning biologist). 

The conservation plan will provide details on how to plant, 

establish, and manage habitat for bobwhite quail. Early 

successional grassland/shrubland plant communities consist 

of native wildflowers, native warm season grasses (NWSG), 

and a select percentage of native shrubs. The required cover 

type must meet NRCS standards and specificaitons and will 

include a composition of native wildflowers (forbs), native 

warm season grasses, and native shrubs while including a 

small percentage of bare ground for maneuverability. This 

composition provides the adequate amount of food, escape 

and loafing cover, and nesting material. 

Required management activities for CP38-E SAFE must be 

completed in years 4–6 of a 10-year contract and in years 

4–9 for a 15-year contract. The required management 

activity practice may not exceed 50% of the enrolled 

acreage in one year unless recommended and approved 

by the planning biologist. Required management activities 

include prescribed burning, strip or block disking, herbicide 

application (whole field or spot treatment), and legume/

forb inter-seeding. Required management activities will 

not take place during the Primary Nesting Season (PNS), 

April 15–July 1, unless otherwise approved by NRCS or a 

partner biologist.

JULY 2023 TENNESSEE 

Photo by Hunter Bridges, Quail Forever Farm Bill Biologist
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration SAFE project is 

located within four ecoregions, including the the Mississippi 

Valley Loess Plains, Southeastern Plains, Interior Plateau, 

and Ridge and Valley. This Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration 

SAFE project exists exclusively within the boundaries of 

Tennessee. The counties targeted in the proposal include: 

Carroll, Coffee, Crockett, Dyer, Fayette, Franklin, Gibson, 

Giles, Greene, Hancock, Hardeman, Hawkins, Haywood, 

Henry, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Maury, 

McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Montgomery, Obion, Rhea, 

Robertson, Tipton, and Weakley.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-4D

 CP38E-12

Haying and Grazing

Haying and Grazing is not permitted for CP38-E SAFE 

practices. This restriction applies to both emergency and 

non-emergency haying and grazing.

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

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/tn

Tennessee Bobwhite Restoration SAFE Project Map

JULY 2023