An official website of the State of Georgia.
Open Habitat Initiative Program
The Open Habitat Initiative (OHI) is a new conservation program that provides incentive payments to qualifying landowners/tenants who install conservation practices that open and improve wildlife habitat on their property.
View the OHI Flyer (PDF).
Why Do Open Habitats Matter?
Many of Georgia’s native wildlife depend on open habitats – grasslands and savannas – for part or all of their life cycle. These habitats, with few or no canopy trees, let sunlight reach the ground, encouraging a rich mix of understory grasses and forbs. This plant diversity supports abundant forage, escape cover, nesting habitat, and open travel corridors for a range of wildlife. OHI’s goal is to improve wildlife habitat for grassland and savanna birds, pollinators, and other native wildlife in Georgia.
Open habitats do not have to be vast to be effective. While expansive pine savannas of the southeastern Coastal Plain or open woodlands of the Piedmont and north Georgia are iconic, smaller patches also make a big difference. Narrow corridors, stair-stepped transitions, or scattered patches of native grasses, forbs, and sparse shrubs along fields, timber stands, and roadsides provide benefits to wildlife and landowners. These diverse habitats provide food, cover, nesting, and escape routes for everything from pollinators to bobwhite quail and other grassland birds to turkey and white-tailed deer. Producers also benefit from open habitat through improved soil and water health, increased resilience to drought, flood, and fire, and more opportunities for wildlife viewing and hunting.
How Does OHI Work
OHI is led by the National Bobwhite & Grasslands Initiative Foundation (NBGIF) in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) Private Lands Program. Funding is provided through the USDA’s NRCS under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Technical assistance is provided by GADNR and NBGIF to determine if a producer’s goals for their land align with objectives of the OHI. A plan is drafted with practices that balance habitat benefits to wildlife and natural resource productivity. Once the plan is agreed upon, contracts are administered by NBGIF and signed digitally. Contract terms can range from 1-3 years. Reimbursements cover up to 95% of the practice rate and are paid after certification of all contracted practices.
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must be eligible to participate in USDA farm programs and have legal rights or permissions to the land (e.g. landowners, tenants, property managers, etc.). Parcels must have current farm records and a valid farm number with the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Applicants do not have to live in Georgia, but parcels must be located within the state.
Conservation Practices supported by the Open Habitat Initiative
- Brush Management
- Herbaceous Weed Treatment
- Conservation Cover
- Pasture and Hay Planting
- Cover Crop
- Prescribed Burning
- Early Successional Habitat
- Tree/Shrub Establishment
- Firebreaks
- Tree/Shrub Site Preparation
- Forest Stand Improvement
- Wildlife Habitat Planting
- Hedgerow Planting
How to Apply
Applications are rolling admissions to the program. For more information about the program and enrollment, complete the OHI Form and NBGIF or your regional GADNR biologists will reach out.
Learn more about the NBGIF mission or contact your local region office for more information.
| City | Name | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| Bainbridge | Brian Romm | (404) 273-9305 |
| Clarkesville | Buck Marchinton | (404) 387-7499 |
| Douglas | Triston Hansford | (912) 501-4042 |
| Perry | Matthew Cooper | (470) 230-7769 |
| Quitman | Jennifer Whittington | (229) 500-0601 |
| Statesboro | Dan Watson | (470) 352-5138 |
| Waynesboro | Jesse Kamps | (470) 755-4335 |
| Statewide | Private Lands Program | (229) 420-1183 |
OHI Partnership Between
