SALINA — Eric B. Banks, state conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’sNatural Resources Conservation Servicein Kansas, in a news release Thursday announced an application period cutoff date of March 21 for participation in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative.

Funds through this initiative provides producers an opportunity to improve the lesser prairie-chicken habitat while promoting the overall health of grazing lands and the long-term sustainability of Kansas ranching.  Expired or expiring Conservation Reserve Program fields in permanent cover that may benefit LPC habitat also could be eligible for funding.

“This initiative offers financial assistance for implementing necessary conservation practices for lesser
prairie-chicken habitat and development of efficient grazing management systems,” Banks said.

Kansas received an allocation for the LPCI for fiscal year 2014 of $699,000. LPCI promotes the overall health of grazing lands and the long-term sustainability of ranching operations in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The LPCI is available in 36 Kansas counties: Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace and Wichita.

For more information, visit the Kansas NRCS web page.