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Grassland Set-aside Stewardship Program

The Grassland Set-aside Stewardship Program encourages farmers to plant fields with grasses and clover to restore the soil. The fields are "fallowed" for up to 4 years. Grassland set-asides benefit farming and wildlife by:

  • Providing habitats for wildlife including grassland raptors, wading birds, songbirds, small mammals, and pollinating insects
  • Improving soil fertility by increasing organic matter in the soil
  • Helping farmers transition to organic production by spanning the 3-year certification period

Grassland set-asides support high densities of the Townsend's Vole, a small native mammal that is prey for a variety of raptors and wading birds. Set-asides also provide roosting habitat for ground-perching raptors, such as the Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl.

For more information, read our 2009 Annual Report and our Grassland Set-aside Fact Sheet. 

A Grassland Set-aside in west Delta looks like an ordinary field of tall grass...

...but small mammals like the Townsend's vole build extensive tunnels under the grassy cover...

...and become prey for a diversity of raptors, like this Short-eared Owl.

 

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