Private Lands Initiative - Landowner Programs
Working Lands
Program
Provides rental and access payments to landowners for maintaining and improving wildlife habitat, and implementing management activities that have a positive impact on wildlife habitat on active agricultural lands and working grasslands.
CRP Access
Program
Provides financial and technical assistance to landowners establishing or maintaining wildlife habitat on USDA Conservation Reserve Program acres in exchange for public access.
Wetland Reserve
Easement Incentive
Provides financial assistance to landowners establishing or maintaining wildlife habitat on USDA Wetland Reserve Easement acres in exchange for public access.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – Riparian Project
Through the North Dakota Riparian Project CREP, federal and state resources are available for landowners to enroll in CRP in portions of SW North Dakota.
Wildlife Food PLOTS
Seed Program
This annual Department program offers free seed to landowners interested in planting wildlife food plots for pheasants.
Meadowlark
Initiative
Tapping into the collective insights, resources and efforts of conservation, agriculture and industry partners to enhance, restore and sustain native grasslands in North Dakota.
Additional Programs
Outdoor Heritage Fund
North Dakota's Outdoor Heritage Fund was established in 2013 to provide grants to state agencies, tribal governments, political subdivisions and nonprofit organizations to enhance conservation practices in the state.
Grass Drills
Partnering with Soil Conservation Districts by providing cost share on grass drills to assist in planting grass to benefit wildlife, improve water quality and reduce soil erosion
Federal Conservation Programs
PLOTS can work in conjunction with federal programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Agricultural Conservation Easment Program including Wetland Reserve Easments.
Find Your Program
Contact a private lands biologist to learn which programs could most benefit your operation.
Private Lands Initiative
The mission of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is to protect, conserve and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their habitats for sustained public consumptive and nonconsumptive use. The Department’s Private Land Initiative is the primary mechanism for applying this mission onto the private landscape of North Dakota.
The Private Lands Initiative has three main goals:
- Conservation of habitats for fish and wildlife populations
- Provide landowners interested in wildlife conservation with cost share assistance for developing and protecting habitat
- Provide the public with opportunities to access fish and wildlife resources on private land. The primary goal is habitat development and hunting access through the Private Land Open To Sportsmen program.
PLOTS provides financial and technical assistance to private landowners for habitat protection, enhancement and development. Landowners accepting assistance through PLOTS agree to allow public access for walk-in hunting. Payments and agreement lengths vary depending on type of agreement and land use.
Conservation PLOTS Program Factsheet and FAQ
The primary goal is habitat development and hunting access, primarily through the Conservation PLOTS program.