Wildlife Habitat/Winter Flooding

Since 1910, four generations of the Schiurring family have harvested rice on the 3S Ranch near El Campo in Colorado and Wharton counties, Texas. The family grows approximately 1,500 acres of long-grain rice annually. Third-generation, J. Brent Schiurring was one...

To say you’re sustainable is one thing. But to put numbers to that statement — and numbers that show substantial improvement in using resources more efficiently — is quite another. USA Rice recently released the executive summary of its “2018...

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 2348, also known as the "California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program." Carried by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), the legislation authorizes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to contract with private landowners...

Farmers join with environmental groups on projects that benefit salmon and keep agriculture viable. By Christine Souza Moving discussions on water and protected species from the courtroom into the field, collaborative projects to benefit salmon are proving helpful in recovering fish,...

Idle rice fields in the winter can act as surrogate floodplains to help rear juvenile salmon, according to a recently published study. Titled “Floodplain Farm Fields Provide Novel Rearing Habitat for Chinook Salmon,” the study provides further evidence that idle Central...

Rice-focused conservation program draws from public and private funding to help growers install on-the-ground improvements. By Vicky Boyd Editor Recognizing that sustainability is gaining importance among rice buyers, producer Michael Fruge wanted to get ahead of the curve. The Eunice, La., rice and soybean grower signed up...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to provide $225 million in funding to 88 Regional Conservation Partnership Programs, including two that involve a partnership between Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice. Altogether, partners plan to contribute an additional $500 million to...

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has added 11 new projects, including one that protects Louisiana shorebirds, to its efforts that help agricultural producers make wildlife-friendly improvements. It is part of NRCS's Working Lands for Wildlife effort. In Louisiana, the project will...

Crawfish may spend a good part of their life in water, but flooding at the wrong time could affect reproduction and survival. One of the keys to the 2017 season will be how fast producers are able to pump...

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has begun taking applications for the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program in Texas.The program is a collaborative effort among USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited and about 40 other partners and sponsors. The goal is to...

CRC partnerships help fuel conservation in rice fields By Paul Buttner, Environmental Affairs Manager, California Rice Commission This was another eventful year as the California Rice Commission (CRC) successfully helped deliver programs to growers who willingly engage in wildlife conservation. It...