USDA Accepting Proposals for State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative

[May 29, 2020]    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting new or modified proposals from state governments for its State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative. Through SAFE, vital habitat is restored to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals.

Proposals for Illinois are requested by June 1, 2020, to ensure all necessary actions are taken by the national deadline of June 19, 2020.

SAFE practices must be used to restore animal habitats for the following categories:

• rare, threatened and endangered species

• species that have suffered a significant population decline

• species that provide significant social or economic value to the community.

SAFE grass and tree practices were moved to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Signup in 2019 and competed against other offers, while buffer and wetland practices remain under continuous CRP signup.

When submitted, proposals must include an overview of the project accomplishments, a list of all practices planned, the commitment of the state and participants and the planned outreach efforts.

For more information about SAFE and submitting a proposal, contact the Illinois FSA state office at [phone] Ext 2.

[USDA Farm Service Agency]