09-24-2004, 02:10 AM
[size 2]PIERRE, S.D. – Hunting seasons are beginning to open across South Dakota and hunters are busy making preparations to pursue their favorite quarry. One preparation many hunters omit is scouting their favorite public hunting areas before the hunt.[/size]
[size 2]There have been a variety of weather conditions across the state this spring and summer. According to Game, Fish and Parks Walk-In Area coordinator Bill Smith, some of the private land leased for public hunting will be in good shape while other areas may harbor less game.[/size]
[size 2]"In 2004 some parts of western South Dakota were open to emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land, while managed haying and grazing was available in the rest of the state," Smith said.[/size]
[size 2]Under emergency CRP haying, a landowner can hay 50 percent of a CRP field and take a 10 percent payment reduction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under managed CRP haying, a landowner can take up to 100 percent once every three years with a 25 percent payment reduction.[/size]
[size 2]"Some of the CRP land is also enrolled in the GFP Walk-In Area program," Smith said. "We hate to lose the good habitat, but we understand the need for these emergency haying provisions. On the other hand, we have leased this land using hunting license revenue with the understanding that we are supplying the public with quality wildlife cover and hunting opportunity. In fact, in the eastern and central part of the state we instituted a new payment strategy for premium habitat that is left unhayed or grazed to provide prime hunting opportunity. The Walk-In Area contracts state that any reduction in habitat will mean a reduction in payment."[/size]
[size 2]Smith said that his office faces questions each year from hunters wondering why some lands that appear to have little habitat to offer are in the Walk-In program. "We do enrollments in the spring so we can have all our contracts in place, areas signed and the hunting atlas printed before the hunting season starts," Smith said. "This is well before CRP is released for emergency haying or grazing. Also, in the case of managed haying and grazing, any portion can be hayed or grazed once very three years. Most landowners don’t make their decision on this until late July or early August.[/size]
[size 2]"We don’t know which tracts of land will be hayed or grazed in any given year, but we do make sure we use the sportsmen’s dollars only for the cover that is out there," Smith said.[/size]
[size 2]Game, Fish and Parks is currently paying a base fee of $1 per acre and a bonus fee of $5 per acre for CRP or any other permanent vegetation left unhayed, grazed or otherwise disturbed during the contract year in central and eastern South Dakota. If the cover is disturbed, only the base pay of $1 per acre will be paid. In western South Dakota, where CRP is a minor component of most Walk-In Areas and only a base payment is made, the local conservation officer makes a determination on how much payment reduction is put in place.[/size]
[size 2]In addition to decreased habitat, CRP haying and grazing may have a negative impact on next year’s nesting by ground nesting birds such as pheasants and grouse. These birds are dependent on vegetation left from the previous fall. The removal of this cover leaves less for the birds to nest in.[/size]
[size 2]Mowing CRP too frequently will reduce the amount of undisturbed nesting cover and will result in long term negative impacts on future game bird populations.[/size]
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[size 2]There have been a variety of weather conditions across the state this spring and summer. According to Game, Fish and Parks Walk-In Area coordinator Bill Smith, some of the private land leased for public hunting will be in good shape while other areas may harbor less game.[/size]
[size 2]"In 2004 some parts of western South Dakota were open to emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land, while managed haying and grazing was available in the rest of the state," Smith said.[/size]
[size 2]Under emergency CRP haying, a landowner can hay 50 percent of a CRP field and take a 10 percent payment reduction from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under managed CRP haying, a landowner can take up to 100 percent once every three years with a 25 percent payment reduction.[/size]
[size 2]"Some of the CRP land is also enrolled in the GFP Walk-In Area program," Smith said. "We hate to lose the good habitat, but we understand the need for these emergency haying provisions. On the other hand, we have leased this land using hunting license revenue with the understanding that we are supplying the public with quality wildlife cover and hunting opportunity. In fact, in the eastern and central part of the state we instituted a new payment strategy for premium habitat that is left unhayed or grazed to provide prime hunting opportunity. The Walk-In Area contracts state that any reduction in habitat will mean a reduction in payment."[/size]
[size 2]Smith said that his office faces questions each year from hunters wondering why some lands that appear to have little habitat to offer are in the Walk-In program. "We do enrollments in the spring so we can have all our contracts in place, areas signed and the hunting atlas printed before the hunting season starts," Smith said. "This is well before CRP is released for emergency haying or grazing. Also, in the case of managed haying and grazing, any portion can be hayed or grazed once very three years. Most landowners don’t make their decision on this until late July or early August.[/size]
[size 2]"We don’t know which tracts of land will be hayed or grazed in any given year, but we do make sure we use the sportsmen’s dollars only for the cover that is out there," Smith said.[/size]
[size 2]Game, Fish and Parks is currently paying a base fee of $1 per acre and a bonus fee of $5 per acre for CRP or any other permanent vegetation left unhayed, grazed or otherwise disturbed during the contract year in central and eastern South Dakota. If the cover is disturbed, only the base pay of $1 per acre will be paid. In western South Dakota, where CRP is a minor component of most Walk-In Areas and only a base payment is made, the local conservation officer makes a determination on how much payment reduction is put in place.[/size]
[size 2]In addition to decreased habitat, CRP haying and grazing may have a negative impact on next year’s nesting by ground nesting birds such as pheasants and grouse. These birds are dependent on vegetation left from the previous fall. The removal of this cover leaves less for the birds to nest in.[/size]
[size 2]Mowing CRP too frequently will reduce the amount of undisturbed nesting cover and will result in long term negative impacts on future game bird populations.[/size]
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