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19 B2) NGPC TECHNICAL AND PARTNERSHIP ASSISTANCE AFFECTING USDA CONSERVATION PROGRAMS Strategies • Provide technical assistance to USDA using the best available information about pheasant-habitat relations, landscape effects on pheasant population potential, and social science on landowner attitudes to ensure that pheasant-friendly practices and focus areas are considered in program offerings • Create incentives to promote and increase the efficacy of existing USDA programs in producing quality pheasant habitat within focus areas • Pursue additional funding sources to increase the scale and array of incentives • Create and maintain capacity-building partnerships to provide technical assistance to USDA programs Tactics CONTINUE to provide both technical and financial assistance to private landowners enrolling in various USDA Farm Bill conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (i�e�, Wetland Reserve Program), among others CONTINUE to provide technical assistance to USDA staff to ensure the needs of pheasants are considered during the implementation of USDA Farm Bill conservation programs (e�g�, promote use of pheasant-friendly seed mixtures) CONTINUE to maintain funding for partnership biologist positions (FBBs and CWBs) located in USDA service centers to aid in Farm Bill conservation program planning and delivery CONTINUE participation in USDA State Technical Committee and subcommittees to ensure intended wildlife benefits of programs are realized CONTINUE to monitor state and regional water and energy issues and the USDA programs created to address them, promoting incorporation of pheasant-friendly practices when possible CONTINUE to promote signup periods for CRP and other important conservation programs authorized under the USDA Farm Bill through available forms of media CONTINUE to seek opportunities to create and improve pheasant habitat through "working lands" conservation programs authorized under the USDA Farm Bill (i�e�, EQIP, CSP, RCPP) through revised rankings, the development of new pheasant- friendly practices (e�g�, early successional habitat management, short-term set-aside, diverse cover crop, and cropland conversion), and strategic targeting within focus areas BEGIN research examining the relationships between pheasant abundance and habitat availability and develop decision support tools to help inform and prioritize the future delivery of CRP and other USDA Farm Bill programs ASSESS the most effective ways of using precision farming technology to illustrate the potential cost-effectiveness of USDA conservation program options, with particular attention to potentially providing information at crop consultant meetings and conventions where available ASSESS the efficacy of the Commission's existing financial incentives offered to private landowners (i�e�, sign-up incentives, management incentives, etc�) and differing regional approaches and payment rates, as they relate to landowner participation in the Conservation Reserve Program