The introduction of mid-contract management as a feature of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has had a tremendously positive effect in Minnesota on maintaining the vitality of native grass and forb plantings. Grassland ecosystems on the tall grass prairie evolved over the thousands of years since the last ice age in a regime of periodic disturbance by fire. Fires had either a natural cause or, at times, were set by Native Americans. Warm season upland grasses in particular, need fire to sustain themselves. Fire removes litter, releases bound up nutrients, prevents encroachment by woody species and stimulates the production of new, lush vegetation.

Land managers use prescribed burning today to recreate the events that happened naturally in the past. Under carefully controlled conditions, trained crews such as the Pheasants Forever Habitat Team depicted here, apply fire to CRP grass plantings as a mid-contract management practice. Cost-share provided to landowners under mid-contract management makes the use of prescribed burning much more affordable and has dramatically increased the demand for fire. The bottom line is that to get the greatest possible habitat and wildlife benefit out of CRP native grasses, they need to be burned periodically. CRP mid-contract management not only encourages this activity but helps reduce the cost to the landowner.

Seven-year-old cover is burned by Dennis Pederson, Pheasants Forever Habitat Team, to rejuvenate the cover and control red cedar and box elder encroachment.