Kansas Grassland Restoration 

for Lesser Prairie-Chickens SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Department of Wildlife and Parks are partners in 

implementing a State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) 

project to enroll agricultural land in 39 counties in western 

Kansas. The purpose of the Kansas Grassland Restoration 

for Lesser Prairie-Chickens is to restore grassland habitat 

considered highly beneficial to lesser prairie-chickens.

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 Kansas Grassland Restoration for Lesser 

Prairie-Chickens project is to provide habitat for lesser 

prairie-chickens. Lesser prairie-chickens are important to 

Kansas because they are currently a listed species under the 

Endangered Species Act and Kansas provides a significant 

amount of important habitat for the species.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in 

Kansas Grassland Restoration for Lesser Prairie-Chickens 

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 lesser prairie-chickens. The habitat 

being established is diverse native grasslands containing 

forbs and legumes. After the habitat is established, it will 

need to be maintained and managed by approved sitespecific management activities such as burning, disking, 

and interseeding conducted on a rotational basis at least 

once in each 10-year segment of the contract. Proper 

habitat establishment, maintenance, and management will 

maximize benefits for lesser prairie-chickens.

MAY 2023 KANSAS

Tony Ifland, USFWS
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE) 2

Project Location

The Kansas Grassland Restoration for Lesser PrairieChickens project location is the species’ occupied range 

in Kansas including a 10-mile buffer that includes all or a 

part of the counties of Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, 

Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, 

Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, 

Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rooks, Rush, 

Russell, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, 

Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, and Wichita.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-2, Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses 

 CP38E-4D, SAFE Permanent Wildlife Habitat

 CP38E-25, Rare and Declining Habitat 

Haying and Grazing

Emergency and non-emergency haying is allowed on 50% 

of the contract acres according to standard CRP policies. 

Emergency grazing is allowed according to standard CRP 

policies with certain restrictions during persistent drought 

conditions. Non-emergency grazing is allowed according to 

standard CRP policies and may require a grazing 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/ks

Matt Bain, The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE)

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

Kansas Grassland Restoration for

Lesser Prairie-Chickens SAFE Project Map

MAY 2023