North Dakota Game and Fish Department
Private Land Initiative (PLI)

The Working Lands Program recognizes and rewards landowners for activities and resources that have a positive impact on wildlife habitat without requiring land retirement and provides public access.

General Program Guidelines

Land must be evaluated by biologists who look at features such as habitat quality, conservation and management practices, habitat development, and size and location of the tract. These evaluations are used to "rank" the land and determine the overall value for the purpose of wildlife habitat and hunting value.

The Department will select applications using a ranking system, which gives priority to:

• Size of tract- areas greater than 80 acres receive higher scores.
• Proximity to other public lands and specific priority areas of the state.
• Habitat Development-additional points are given for producers willing to undertake a habitat development project, although they are not mandatory.
• Upland Management Practices-cropland and rangeland management systems favoring conservation.
• Habitat Evaluation-an evaluation is conducted which places value on wildlife habitat features, conservation and management practices and habitat development. The more features that are dispersed throughout a tract, the more points are assessed.

Cooperator must agree to:

• Maintain or improve current farming or ranching activities.
• Allow walk-in public access to the land enrolled in the program (does not pertain to motorized vehicle use, trapping, or any other non-hunting activities).
• Allow the NDGFD to sign and publicize the tract open to public use.

Landowner Payments/Rates

• Payments range from $1.00 per acre to $3.00 per acre.
• Contract length is two years.
• Landowner may receive incentive payment if land is located in priority area.
  

The NDGFD CRP Access Program offers cost-share funds to landowners for establishing cover on acres enrolled in USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in exchange for public access to these tract acres.

General Program Guidelines

The CRP Access program provides assistance to landowners for establishing wildlife habitat cover types on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. The different components of the program include: grass, shrubs, and food plots. The guidelines for each component are as follows:

• Grass Seed Cost Share - The NDGFD will provide up to 50% cost-sharing on grass seed for selected CRP grass plantings. This cost-sharing can be applied to new, established and renovation grass seeding.

Two options are offered for the CRP Access program:

• Option 1: Limited Haying and Grazing - Cooperator is eligible to receive grass seed cost share. Limited Haying and Grazing is allowed on the CRP acres. Cooperator must obtain a modified CRP conservation plan from their local USDA-FSA office. Cooperator will be limited to hay or graze up to one half (50%) of the CRP acres by utilizing either "Managed Haying or Grazing" or "Emergency Haying and Grazing". Cooperator may not hay or graze 100% of the CRP acres in any contract year.
  
  
• Option 2: No Haying or Grazing - Cooperator is eligible to receive grass seed cost share. Managed or Emergency Haying or Grazing will not be allowed on the CRP acres under any circumstances. Cooperator will be allowed to perform management activities as required by the present terms of the Cooperator’s CRP contract conservation plan.

Tree & Shrub Cost Share - NDGFD will provide up to 50% cost-sharing and a $100/shrub acre incentive payment for CRP shrub plantings on a maximum of 5% of CRP contract acres statewide. Cost includes only the cost of the trees/shrubs; it does not include costs associated with weed barrier, chemicals or any other maintenance.

Wildlife Food Plots - The NDGFD will provide an annual establishment payment for the planting of agricultural crops left unharvested for a wildlife food source on CRP acres statewide.

Cooperator must agree to:

• Have CRP acres, 80 acres minimum total acreage.
• Be willing to sign an agreement with the Department allowing access for walk-in hunting from September 1 - April 1 on respective CRP and other ownership within the quarter section for the term of their CRP contract (does not pertain to motorized vehicle use, trapping, or any other non-hunting activities).
• Allow the NDGFD to sign and publicize the tract open to public use.

Landowner Payments/Rates

• Payment for options 1 or 2 above:
  • $1-$3 per acre under contract per year for option 1
  • $2-$4 per acre under contract per year for option 2.
    
    
• Cost share rates for grass seed and shrubs/trees vary depending upon the number of years remaining on the CRP contract:
  • 8+ years remaining = full 50% cost share
  • 6-8 years remaining = 40% cost share
  • 6 years or less remaining = 25% cost share
    
    
• CRP wildlife food plot - establishment cost-share payment only, NO rental
  • $50/acre for small grains
  • $70/acre for row crops
    
    
• Landowner may receive incentive payment if land is located in priority area.

The NDGFD Habitat Plot Program is a short-term and multi-year rental of private land providing nesting, wintering, and other key wildlife habitat.  The Habitat Plot can be newly established cover, existing cover, or a combination of both. 

General Program Guidelines:

Tracts of newly established and/or existing habitat will be considered for enrollment.

Short-Term Option

• Landowner receives an annual soil rental rate based payment during 6-year agreement period for new habitat establishment; or,
• Landowner receives an annual existing habitat rate based payment during 3-year agreement period for existing habitat maintenance.

Long-Term Option (Limited Funding)

• Landowner receives an up front payment for a 10, 15 or 20-year conservation agreement.
• Contact Department for payment details.

Cooperator must agree to:

• Allow unrestricted walk-in public use of tract enrolled in program (does not pertain to motorized vehicle use, trapping, or any other non-hunting activities).
• Not hay or graze the tract.
• Allow the NDGFD to sign and publicize the tract open to public use.

Landowner Payment/Rates

New Habitat Establishment

USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CREP), the ND Game and Fish Department, Pheasants Forever and Private Landowners are partners in this private lands program that creates financial incentives for landowners, establishes high quality wildlife habitat and provides public access.

This sign marks lands in the CoverLocks Program.

General Program Guidelines

A CoverLock complex involves a quarter (160 contiguous acres) of land on which a 20-acre CoverLock is established. The 20-acre CoverLock contains a five-acre tree planting and 15 acres of herbaceous cover. The remaining 140 acres can continue to be used as the landowner sees fit (i.e. farming, grazing, etc). The landowner must agree to a 30-year public access easement on the entire 160 acres.

Certain watersheds in the following counties are eligible: Sargent, LaMoure, Dickey, Logan, Ransom, McIntosh, Emmons, Burleigh, Sioux, Grant, Morton, Oliver, Mercer, Dunn, Stark, Hettinger, and Adams.

Producers can contact FSA or NRCS offices in those counties to determine eligibility or call the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for other program details.

Cooperator must agree to:

• Allow public access on the entire 160 acres for 30 years.
• Maintain the trees and grass on the 20 acre CoverLock for 30 years.

Landowner Payments/Rates

• FSA will pay an annual CRP rental payment on the 20 acre CoverLock for 15 years.
• ND Game and Fish Department will make an up-front payment equal to 95 percent of the cumulative FSA CRP rental payment.
• FSA and ND Game and Fish Department reimburse the landowner for the trees, weed barrier, and grass seed, based on FSA scheduled cost share rates.
• FSA will pay a $750.00 Signup Incentive Payment for the five-acre tree planting.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering incentives on completed WRP easements or cost share agreements that meet Department requirements.  The incentives may be applied to new and existing WRP contracts and are available for 10-year cost share agreements and 30-year easements.

30-year WRP Easement
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will provide an incentive payment in addition to the 75% paid by NRCS for a 30-year WRP easement. The Department will provide an additional:

• 5% of the NRCS established value if the producer signs a public access easement for 15 years
• 15% of the NRCS established value if the producer signs a public access easement for 30 years

10-year WRP Cost-Share Agreement
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will provide up to 25% cost share assistance for wetland restorations and associated upland buffers as well as an access payment of $1.00-3.00 per acre (rates vary depending up on habitat quality, management practices etc…) if producer signs a public access agreement for 10 years.

To qualify for North Dakota Game and Fish Department incentives, a producer or operator must:

• Have a completed NRCS WRP easement or cost share agreement
• Meet North Dakota Game and Fish Department requirements (see below)
• Be willing to sign an easement or cost share agreement with the Department allowing public access for walk-in hunting from Sept. 1 – April 1 on the entire WRP tract (does not pertain to motorized vehicle use, trapping, or any other non-hunting activities)
• Be willing to limit WRP haying and grazing only to maintenance manipulations specified in the NRCS WRP easement or cost share agreement

Due to limited funding, the Department will rank offers using the following requirements:

• Tracts with no substantial upland buffer will be ineligible
• Size of tract – greater preference for larger tracts (at least 80 acres or more)
• Accessibility – greater preference for road/trail access to tract
• Upland / Wetland Ratio – maximum upland to wetland ratio preferred
• Location – greater preference for tracts located near other protected lands
• Habitat diversity – greater preference for habitat interspersion such as adjacent food supply, and winter cover (woody draws, cattails)

The NDGFD Shrub/Tree Planting Cost Share Program offers cost-share funds to landowners as an incentive for establishing wildlife shrub/tree plantings on private land.

General Program Guidelines

• Shrub/Tree plantings must meet Department criteria, standards and specifications. The Department will NOT provide cost share assistance for shrubs/trees planted on native prairie or recently broken native prairie. The Department will NOT provide cost share assistance for shrub/tree plantings containing Russian Olive.
  
  
  • Option 1 (statewide)
    • Requires 10 year access to the shrub/tree planting and associated or detached legal subdivisions (80 acres or more)
    • 10 row minimum (recommended minimum length of 400 ft.)
      
      
  • Option 2 (statewide)
    • Requires no access.
    • 10 row minimum (recommended minimum length of 400 ft.)

Landowner Payments/Rates-Option 1

• 25%-50% cost share on trees and shrubs, with NDGF criteria, standards, and specifications, in association with multi-year enhancement/protection programs or other federal cost-share programs (EWP,WHIP,319,Habitat Plots, EQIP, State Waterbank, and/or other easement or term habitat programs.)
• 25% cost-share on weed barrier.
• Practice incentive payment: (one time up-front) $100.00/planted acre.

Landowner Payments/Rates-Option 2

• 10 % cost share on trees and shrubs with NDGFD criteria, standards and specifications.

The NDGFD Food Plot Program provides an annual establishment and rental payment for the planting of agricultural crops left un-harvested for a wildlife food source during the winter.

General Program Guidelines

NDGFD and landowner will work together to determine food plot locations that are proximate to winter cover (multi-row tree planting, natural woody areas, large cattail slough).

Cost-Share Rates:

• Food Plots (cropland/non-CRP)
  • Establishment
    • $50/acre for small grains
    • $70/acre for row crops
  • Rental-payment based on soil classification and regional location:
    • Class II-III - $27-$45/acre
    • Class IV-V - $20-$29/acre
    • Class VI-VII - $9-$14/acre

• CRP Food Plots
  • Establishment payment only, NO rental.
    • $50/acre for small grains
    • $70/acre for row crops

The NDGFD Private Forest Conservation Program provides a multi-year rental payment for maintaining and protecting native woodland habitat on private land.

General Program Guidelines

Landowners enroll in the PFCP through a conservation agreement and choose from two forest conservation options:

• Short term - landowner receives an annual $9 to $12 per acre lease payment and has the option to renew annually within a 3-6 year contract period.
  
  
• Long term (limited funding) - landowner receives variable annual payments based on forest acreage, land value, and term of conservation agreement. Agreement term ranges from 10 to 30 years. Compensation starts at 35% (10 year agreement) and increases 1.5% each successive year to a maximum 65% (30 year agreement) of the land value.

Cooperators must agree to:

• Prohibit permanent clearing of the forest.
• Prohibit grazing, forest subdivision, and agricultural use.
• Allow the NDGFD to sign and publicize the tract open to public walking access.

Eligibility:

A private landowner having a tract of continuous native forest that would:

• Abut existing public lands; or
• Be threatened by present or future conversion to non-forest uses; or
• Exhibit connective habitats between forested areas.

PLI Districts Map and Listing of Contact Personnel