Q: How do I enroll?
A: CFP is administered through a number of partners in ND. If you have a contact with US Fish and Wildlife Service, ND Game and Fish, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, or the ND Natural Resources Trust, you can work with them to enroll. Some local NRCS or Conservation District offices may also be able to help you enroll. Otherwise, contact Audubon Dakota at 701-298-3373 or dakota@audubon.org and we will connect you with a range ecologist.
Q: What is covered in the seed mix and grazing infrastructure financial assistance?
A: The seed mix financial assistance covers 60% of actual seed costs, seeding and site preparation costs are the responsibility of the landowner. Additional financial may be available through partner organizations for some landowners to cover additional costs. The grazing infrastructure cost-share covers 50% of EQIP posted rates for 2020. The remaining material and installation costs are the responsibility of the landowner.
Q: Can grazing infrastructure financial assistance be used in areas not seeded back to grass?
A: No. The financial assistance through CFP is meant to cover areas enrolled in CFP and actually planted back to grass. However, infrastructure installed as part of a CFP project can benefit existing grazing systems, i.e. a well or tank may serve a paddock that is not part of CFP as long as its primary use is for the CFP project area.
Q: Can I use grazing infrastructure financial assistance from another program on CFP acres instead of the one offered by CFP if it is a better fit for me?
A: Yes, you may choose financial assistance from another program and it will not affect your transition payments.
Q: When do I get the transition payments?
A: The first transition payment will be processed after you submit your receipts for the seeding and we can verify the land has been seeded. Normally it takes about a month or two for the payment to be processed. Year 2 and 3 transition payments will occur annually on or near the date of your first transition payments.
Q: What is covered in the CFP agreement?
A: The agreement will state that you agree to keep the land as grassland for 10 years and manage it according to your management plan. This could include grazing, haying, or other management. It is recommended that the site not be grazed, hayed, or sprayed for the first 3 years after planting to allow for the full establishment and that any haying after year 3 is completed after July 15 to avoid direct impacts on grassland birds during the primary nesting season. Nothing is filed with the county against the title of the land.
Q: What seed mix do I use?
A: You will work with a conservation partner to develop a seeding plan based on your planned management for the forage, to fit your budget and goals for the land. Some tame species are prohibited from financial assistance (smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass, sweet clover, creeping foxtail, tall fescue, crested wheatgrass) and other tame species can only be included at a limited level (less than 20% by seed mix of other tame species, no more than 5% alfalfa).
Q: Do I have to allow hunter access or enroll in PLOTS?
No, you maintain access control for your land. Enrollment in PLOTS is optional but may allow for additional income on project acres.
Q: What if the land is sold?
A: The contract goes for 10 years, so the land must stay as grassland for 10 years. The land can otherwise be sold or traded as normal.
Q: What if I want to put the land into cropland or develop it for another use before the end of the 10 years?
You will pay a pro-rated rate to cover expenses associated with the establishment and administration of CFP on any acres converted from grassland. The highest rate paid will be in year 4, after all, transition payments are made and the seeding is established and will decrease year by year until year 10.
