USDA-NRCS funds available to help enhance and restore pollinator habitat Open to beekeepers and private landowners in Acadia Parish

By Claudette Olivier
Staff Reporter
Beekeepers and private landowners in Acadia Parish can apply for assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help enhance and restore pollinator habitat.
Kody Meaux, district conservationist at the service’s Crowley field office, said, “There has been a loss or decline pollinators due to things like loss in forage lands, pathogen exposure, lack of genetic diversity, and exposure to certain pesticides.”
“This is a special program, a special pot of money, set up to help increase pollinator habitat on or adjacent to agricultural land. In the past few decades, there has been a significant loss of pollinators in environment, including birds, butterflies and bees.”
Eligible parishes for the project include Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis and Vermilion. The investment of up to $330,000 is through the service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the funds are specifically to be used in southwest Louisiana. Applications for assistance must be received by June 17. For more information about applications, call the Crowley NRCS office at 337-783-5823.
Meaux said the service, United States Geological Survey, Environment Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have partnered in the program.
“There is an effort between these agencies to expand and coordinate public education to address the loss of pollinators,” Meaux said.
According to the 2014 LSU Ag Center Summary data for Acadia Parish, there were about 1,000 hives of honey in the parish for a total production of 170,000 pounds of honey. The harvest had a gross farm value of $367,200.
Native pollinators require floral resources and nesting habitat to thrive.  Grasslands that are open, sunny, herb dominated habitats provide the best opportunity for success.  
Working across old field, pasture, rangeland and coastal prairies the partnership will utilize prescribed grazing, prescribed burning and invasive species control to enhance and protect habitat
Meaux said the amount of money landowner and bee keepers could receive will be on a per-acre basis and what the landowner is interested in doing to the property.
Meaux said there are 15 conservation practices to protect and enhance or restore habitat.
“A prescribed burn is done to an existing stand of native grasses instead of mowing,” Meaux said. “This rejuvenates plants to grow back more vigorously and tends to germinate seeds from the plants plant.”
Prescribed burns cost about $26 per acre. A consecration cover, in which plants like native grasses and legumes are planted, costs about $24 an acre.
Kevin Norton, state conservationist for the service, said “This is a serious problem that requires immediate action to ensure the sustainability of our food production system. NRCS will work with private landowners in southwest Louisiana to protect and enhance grassland systems and provide sustainable native pollinator habitat.
Interested landowners and livestock producers need to visit their local NRCS office as soon as possible, because the application period for this special opportunity ends June 17, 2016.”