Landowner Habitat Management
Landowners in northwest Ohio can enroll now to take advantage of a one-time $2,000/acre incentive to transform unproductive land into habitat that helps protect and improve water quality, like wetlands and forested riparian buffers. This program, called CREP, is part of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative. To learn more, connect with your local private lands field staff. This enrollment period is open until January 29, 2021.
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a USDA Farm Bill conservation program that offers farmers and landowners financial compensation for taking cropland out of production and establishing conservation practices such as buffer strips, grasslands, and wetlands to improve water quality for a contract period of 15 years.
The new H2Ohio Water Quality Incentive Program is being offered in combination with Lake Erie CREP and provides a one-time payment of $2,000 per acre for new Lake Erie CREP wetlands and forested riparian buffers (buffer strip with trees) to help improve water quality in the Lake Erie watershed. More wetlands and forested riparian buffers will help reduce phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie. Both conservation practices are on the H2Ohio top 10 list of phosphorus reduction practices.
H2Ohio Water Quality Incentive Program Fact Sheet [pdf]
H2Ohio Water Quality Incentive Program FAQs [pdf]
Lake Erie CREP: Wetland Restoration [pdf]
Below is a list of resources to help landowners manage wildlife habitat on their property.
We recommend that you contact your local Private Lands Biologist for personalized information on managing your land, from stream corridors to pastures, prairies, woodlands, and urban landscapes.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
Backyard Wildlife - Habitat and Feeding
Conservation Reserve Progam (CRP)
CRP Mid-Contract Management - Grassland Management Options
Fish and Wildlife Management Publications
Managing Forests for Birds [YouTube]
National Wild Turkey Federation
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs
OSU Extension – Wildlife Management
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)