Mississippi, Alabama, Black 

Belt Prairie Restoration SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Mississippi are partners in implementing a State Acres for 

Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) project to enroll agricultural 

land in 18 counties in Mississippi and Alabama along 

the Black Belt. The purpose of the Mississippi, Alabama, 

Black Belt Prairie Restoration SAFE is to improve through 

restoration, native grassland habitats for rare, threatened, 

endangered and declining species that are dependent on 

native prairie communities found within the Black Belt 

Prairie region of Mississippi and Alabama.

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 Mississippi, Alabama, Black Belt Prairie 

Restoration SAFE project is to provide habitat for Northern 

Bobwhite Quail, Bachman’s Sparrow, Southern Combshell, 

Southern Clubshell, and Ovate Clubshell. These vulnerable 

and critically imperiled species are important to Mississippi 

and Alabama because the Black Belt Prairie region remains 

the most degraded ecosystem in Mississippi and Alabama 

with less than one percent of the ecosystem remaining.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

Mississippi, Alabama, Black Belt Prairie Restoration 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 Northern Bobwhite Quail, Bachman’s 

Sparrow, Southern Combshell, Southern Clubshell, and 

Ovate Clubshell. The habitat being established is CP25, 

mixed stand of at least four native grass species, four native 

forb and legume species, and one native shrub species. 

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

and managed by herbicide applications, strip disking, and 

prescribe fire. Proper habitat establishment, maintenance, 

and management will maximize benefits for Northern 

Bobwhite Quail, Bachman’s Sparrow, Southern Combshell, 

Southern Clubshell, and Ovate Clubshell.

JUNE 2023 MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA

Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Mississippi, Alabama, Black Belt Prairie Restoration 

SAFE project location is in parts of:

Mississippi—Chickasaw, Clay, Kemper, Lee, Lowndes, Monroe, 

Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Pontotoc counties.

Alabama—Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, 

Montgomery, Pickens, Sumter, and Wilcox counties within 

the Black Belt Prairie region.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-25, SAFE Rare and Declining Habitat

Haying and Grazing

No haying or grazing is allowed.

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

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

Mississippi, Alabama, Black Belt Prairie Restoration SAFE 

Project Map

JUNE 2023