DATE:     2/13/04
CONTACT:  Greg Yarrow, Clemson University professor of wildlife;
          (864) 656-7370, gyarrow@clemson.edu
          Peter King, Francis Marion University associate professor of
          biology; (843) 661-1399, pking@fmarion.edu
WRITER:   Debbie Dalhouse, (864) 656-6737; ddalhou@clemson.edu

Adding wildlife habitat 
may add to farmers' bottom line

     CLEMSON -- Cash-strapped farmers may find a much-needed revenue
source by adding wildlife habitats to their agricultural crops. Clemson
University scientists, in partnership with natural resource agencies,
are studying ways to stabilize farm income by diversifying land
management practices to include wildlife.
     Based at Clemson's Pee Dee Research & Education Center in
Florence, the scientists will evaluate eight land management options on
1627 acres. The land includes a 150-acre lake and wetlands, as well as
upland fields and forests. Work began in the fall and will accelerate
this winter as prescribed burning clears undergrowth from test areas.
     The lake, known as Dargan's Pond, is one of the most popular
public fishing spots in the Pee Dee region. Levees will be built so it
can be managed for both fish and waterfowl. A trail system will be
installed so visitors can hike around the lake and view a beaver pond
complex as well as songbirds.
     Some of the pine stands will be thinned to allow a diversity of
plant life as food sources for seed-eating birds and wildlife. Plants
such as legumes, seed-bearing grasses, and beggar lice provide this
food and can only grow in open areas with sunlight and disturbed soil.
Unmanaged pine plantations cannot provide either the food or the
nesting habitats to support a variety of birds and wildlife.
     The land management research will provide science-based
information for landowners to compare return-on-investment for each of
the practices recommended by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation
Service. Although the federal agency recommends these practices, no
in-depth evaluation has been conducted until now.
     The land management practices study will develop habitats for
wildlife, fish, water fowl and songbirds over a two-year period. By
providing these habitats, landowners could earn additional income by
leasing rights for hunting, fishing and bird-watching.
     The research team will conduct workshops and tours for landowners
and other interested groups to review test results as they are
available. Private landowners control 75% of the land in South Carolina
so they have an enormous potential to impact the state's wildlife
habitats.
     Wetlands at the Pee Dee center provide a breeding ground for
salamanders, song and water birds, otter, raccoon, mink, beaver,
woodpecker, flying squirrels, and wood ducks; while the forests house
wild turkey and deer. Open areas in the forest provide habitat for
quail, as well as songbirds and ground-nesting birds. Quail have been
targeted by a national effort to restore the bird population as an
indicator species for environmental health.
     Farmers who implement these conservation practices can recover 75%
of the cost through the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) in
the current Farm Bill. Reimbursement will be handled by the USDA Farm
Service Agency. This is the first time that wildlife habitat
conservation has been funded at the federal level on an equal basis
with soil conservation and water quality efforts.
     Clemson wildlife biologist Greg Yarrow is leading the research
effort. He is joined by Clemson wildlife biologists T.J. Savereno and
Bill Bowerman, and agronomists Jim Frederick and Ed Murdock. Savereno
is using a Global Positioning System to track test data. Bowerman and
Frederick are studying quail habitat. Murdock is investigating the use
of herbicides to control weeds in wildlife food plots. In addition, two
Francis Marion University biologists Peter King and Travis Knowles are
monitoring populations of turtles and using radio telemetry to track
the movement of water snakes.
     Research partners include the S.C. Department of Natural
Resources, Ducks Unlimited, and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS). A $150,000 grant from NRCS and a $30,000 grant from
Ducks Unlimited are helping to fund the research. Additional funding is
provided by Clemson Public Service. Other partners are the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, the S.C. Forestry Commission, Quail Unlimited and the
National Wild Turkey Federation.
                              END