Bob Brandt of Unadilla, Nebraska, is an enthusiastic CRP participant and supported. To date, he has enrolled over 481 acres in 14 different CRP practices, and he is in the process of enrolling acres to establish yet another different practice.

What makes him do it? Well, for one thing, Bob likes trees. Of the 15 CRP practices he has installed on his land, six involve trees. He has small parcel devoted under CRP contract to Tree Planting, Hardwood Tree Planting, Field Windbreaks, Vegetative Cover -- Trees Already Established, and Shelterbelts. In addition, Bob has installed nearly 70 acres of Riparian Buffers on cropland and marginal pasture land.

Bob figures he plants 2,500 to 3,000 tree seedlings every year, including those he plants on his own non-CRP land and land belonging to friends. Trees, he reasons, are good for the environment and wildlife, and he just likes to look at them.

Next to trees, Bob Brandt likes wildlife. That’s clear from his choice of wildlife-oriented CRP practices installed on his property. Nearly 70 acres have been devoted to a native grass and wildflower mixture and enrolled in CRP as Rare and Declining Habitat. In addition, Bob has established small parcels of Permanent Wildlife Habitat and CRP Wildlife Food Plots, and he devoted nearly 10 acres to a Shallow Water Area for Wildlife.

Bob has witnessed first hand the increase in blue birds, pheasant, quail, turkey, deer wood ducks, and prairie chickens on his CRP acres.

Rounding out his potpourri of CRP practices, Bob has nearly 300 acres devoted to Native Grass, Vegetative Cover -- Grass Already Established, Vegetative Cover on Terraces, and Filter Strips adjacent to several water bodies.

That would probably be enough CRP for most people, but not for Bob. When he learned of the Northern Bobwhite Quail Initiative, he applied to install two small tracts of new practice CP33, Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds.

Through the effort of individuals such as Bob Brandt, the Conservation Reserve Program has become the nation's most effective conservation program.

Filter strips are only one of many practices installed by conservation-minded producer Bob Brandt.

Geese enjoy a shallow water area for wildlife.

Brandt has established trees and rare and declining habitat on CRP acreage on his farm.

Riparian buffer installed on marginal pastureland catches sediment and chemical runoff and creates wildlife habitat.