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The window for rice growers to apply for the Spring 2021 Bid4Birds habitat program is closing on January 11. The program was initially developed in 2014 by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the California Rice Commission (CRC). The Bid4Birds habitat program provides incentive payments to rice growers for shallow flooding of fields to help provide habitat for waterbirds.
“California rice fields – meaning in the Sacramento Valley – are critical shorebird habitat, some of the best in the world. We do want to try to help that process as best we can,” said Jim Morris, CRC Spokesperson. “It will be four-to-ten-week commitments and this will happen in mid-February through May. The habitat in the springtime is very important for shorebirds so we do hope that there are participants stepping forward to help the process.”
Listen to the radio report below.