OutdoorNebraska

16 Con nue to monitor state and regional water and energy issues and the USDA programs created to address them, and promote incorpora on of pheasant-friendly prac ces in those programs when possible Begin promo on of upcoming general CRP signup, and any sign ups that become available in the future Begin to communicate the results of the recent Conserva on Reserve Program landowner survey to help USDA create be er program op ons and delivery approaches Begin working with USDA to emphasize pheasant habitat (early successional and cropland conversion) in their EQIP and Conserva on Stewardship Program through revised rankings and strategic targe ng of focus areas Begin work on a proposal for a Regional Conserva on Partnership Program that emphasizes pheasant and quail habitat Assess the feasibility of employing at least one partnership biologist in each county within our Focus on Pheasants focus areas to promote beneficial habitat prac ces and more fully take advantage of habitat improvement opportuni es Assess the most effec ve ways of using precision farming technology to illustrate the poten al cost-effec veness of USDA conserva on program op ons, with par cular a en on to poten ally providing informa on at crop consultant mee ngs and conven ons where available B3) NGPC Technical and Partnership Assistance Affecting NGO Conservation Programs Strategies • Use the best available informa on about pheasant-habitat rela ons, landscape effects on pheasant popula on poten al, and social science on landowner a tudes to provide technical assistance to NGO programs on pheasant friendly prac ces in focus areas • Create and maintain more and higher quality habitat in pheasant focus areas by working collabora vely with NGO's to produce feasible, a rac ve incen ves for private landowners • Pursue addi onal funding sources to increase the scale and array of incen ves • Create and maintain partnerships to build capacity to provide pheasant friendly technical assistance Tactics Con nue partnering with Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Northern Prairies Land Trust, and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) to employ wildlife biologists in USDA service centers and other key loca ons across the state to deliver technical assistance to landowners Con nue fostering development of the Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council Assess the feasibility of also partnering with agricultural groups and outdoor retailers to increase funding or effec veness of technical assistance delivery B4) Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Habitat Management Activities Strategies • Use the best available informa on about pheasant-habitat rela ons and landscape effects on pheasant popula on poten al to iden fy which WMAs to manage intensively for pheasants • For high priority WMAs, use all available means to provide ideal pheasant habitat (i.e., "make every acre count") while remaining sensi ve to the hunters of other species that use those WMAs

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