Grow Rice? Help Birds! Rice provides livelihoods and food for people and places to rest and feed for many birds, too. Small changes to field management can increase the value of rice fields for the birds that use it. The NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) provides assistance to farmers to voluntarily modify their field management in small ways to benefit birds that are also compatible with farming.
We strongly encourage new growers/landowners who have not enrolled in WHEP or RCPP in the past to apply. New applicants will be preferentially ranked for acceptance into the program. However, we anticipate that quality proposals from past WHEP/RCPP participants will also be considered for funding. Practices available through the program include:
- Two weeks of continuous shallow flooding July-October
- Variable drawdown of winter-flooded fields in February/March
- Planting and maintaining cover crops through July
- Nesting islands for safe breeding habitat
- Bird-friendly straw management
Long-term commitments are not required in this program. EQIP-eligible producers in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, and Yolo counties can apply. For more information, join us on June 6th at the Colusa Casino Community Room from 10:30-1:30, visit your local NRCS office or contact Paul Buttner (pbuttner@calrice.org).