Missouri Northern Bobwhite 

and Monarch Butterfly Habitat 

Restoration SAFE

State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

Overview

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

Missouri Department of Conservation in consultation 

with Missouri’s State Technical Committee are partners 

in implementing a State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement 

(SAFE) project to enroll agricultural land in seventy-nine 

counties in north-east, north central and north-west 

Missouri. The purpose of the Missouri Northern Bobwhite 

and Monarch Butterfly Habitat Restoration SAFE is to 

develop habitat that will provide the forbs, warm season 

grass and shrubby cover necessary for the nesting and 

brood rearing of the bobwhite quail and pollinator habitat 

for the monarch butterfly.

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 Missouri Northern Bobwhite and Monarch 

Butterfly Habitat Restoration SAFE project is to provide 

habitat for bobwhite quail and monarch butterflies which 

are important to Missouri. Both species have suffered 

significant population declines and habitat development 

for these species will also assist with many other migratory 

bird species and other pollinators.

Habitat

Landowners and agricultural producers participating in the 

Missouri Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterfly Habitat 

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 bobwhite quail 

and monarch butterflies. The habitat being established is 

designed to provide the nesting, brood rearing, and shrubby 

cover necessary to the bobwhite quail life cycle. The brood 

rearing habitat created will also provide essential foraging 

and nesting habitat for the monarch butterfly. After the 

habitat is established, it will need to be maintained and 

managed by plant diversity and wildlife benefits while 

ensuring protection of the soil and water resources. 

Management activities are site specific and are used to 

enhance the wildlife benefits for the site. NRCS or TSP will 

work with participants to plan appropriate management 

activities, such as disking, inter-seeding, prescribed 

burning, herbicide application or grazing that will create 

plant diversity for the benefit of wildlife and enhancement 

of the permanent cover. Proper habitat establishment, 

maintenance, and management will maximize benefits for 

bobwhite quail and monarch butterflies.

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

Project Location

The Missouri Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterfly 

Habitat Restoration SAFE project location is Adair, Andrew, 

Atchison, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Bollinger, Boone, 

Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, 

Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, 

Daviess, Dekalb, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, 

Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Jasper, 

Johnson, Knox, Lafayette, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, 

Macon, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, 

Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, 

Newton, Nodaway, Osage, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Pike, 

Platte, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Saline, Schuyler, 

Scotland, Scott, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Louis, St. 

Louis City, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Sullivan, Vernon, 

Warren, and Worth counties.

Eligible CRP Practices

This SAFE project uses the following CRP practices:

 CP38E-4D, SAFE Wildlife Habitat Planting

 CP38E-12, SAFE Food Plots

 CP38B-23, SAFE Wetland Restoration on Floodplains

 CP38B-23A, SAFE Non-Floodplain Wetlands Initiative

 CP38E-25, SAFE Rare and Declining Habitat

 CP38A-33, SAFE Upland Bird Habitat Buffer Initiative

 CP38E-42, SAFE Pollinator Habitat Initiative

 CP38A-43, SAFE Prairie Strips

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

Haying and Grazing

Managed or emergency haying is not allowed on Missouri 

Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterfly Habitat 

Restoration SAFE acres. Grazing, when used for management 

activities, will follow guidelines outlined in project polices 

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.
Legend

FSA County Boundary 

Missouri Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterfly Habitat Restoration SAFE Project Area 

Atchison

Holt

Nodaway

Worth

Harrison

Mercer

Putnam

Sullivan

Grundy

Daviess

DeKalb

Gentry

Andrew

Buchanan Clinton Caldwell Livingston

Linn Macon

Randolph Monroe Ralls

Pike

Lincoln

St. Charles

St. Louis

St. Louis

City

Jeerson

Franklin

Gasconade

Warren

Montogmery

Callaway

Audrain

Boone

Howard Saline

Pettis

Cooper

Moniteau

Cole

Osage

Miller Maries

Camden

Dallas Laclede

Pulaski Phelps

Dent

Iron

Reynolds

Shannon

Carter

Wayne

Madison

Sainte

Genevieve

St.

Francois Perry

Bollinger

Scott

Mississippi

New

Madrid

Cape

Girardeau

Stoddard

Butler

Dunklin

Pemiscot

Oregon Ripley

Howell

Taney Ozark

Texas

Webster Wright

Douglas

Greene

Polk

Cedar

Vernon

Barton

Jasper

Newton

McDonald

Barry Stone

Christian

Lawrence

Dade

Hickory

St. Clair

Benton

Henry

Johnson

Cass

Bates

Jackson Lafayette

Morgan

Crawford Washington

Shelby Marion

Knox Lewis

Clark Schuyler Scotland

Adair

Chariton

Carroll

Ray Clay Platte

STATE ACRES FOR WILDLIFE ENHANCEMENT (SAFE)

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

Missouri Northern Bobwhite and Monarch Butterfly Habitat 

Restoration SAFE Project Map

MAY 2023