California Ricelands and Waterbird Habitat
- Part I:
Overview of Ricelands and Waterbird Habitat - Part II:
Overview of Waterbird Ecology and Conservation
Goals/Needs - Part III:
Sacramento Valley Species Snapshot - Part IV:
Riceland Shorebirds - Part V:
Riceland Wading Birds - Part VI:
Riceland Marsh Birds - Part VII:
Riceland Waterfowl - Part VIII:
Cooperative Partnerships to Enhance Ricelands Habitats - Part IX:
Riceland Waterbirds Future Vision - Part X:
Technical References
Part VIII: Cooperative Partnerships to Enhance Ricelands Habitats
We know that California’s rice fields provide habitat for many waterbird species, but how can we ensure the best possible habitat is being offered to the greatest number of species? It takes cooperation between rice growers, biologists, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and state and federal agencies.
Rice growers know how to grow rice, what conditions are possible on their farm, and how they can (or cannot) modify their practices. Biologists know bird ecology, what the birds need, and how these relate to rice field conditions based on conversations with growers. Using this knowledge, biologists can develop a suite of practices that can be tested on the rice landscape for their utility in providing improvements to waterbird habitat.
Once the best practices are identified, they can be incorporated into government programs to provide assistance to growers that implement the practices. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is one such government agency that provides support to growers for providing specific types of waterbird habitat.
California family rice farmers have been at the forefront in providing bird habitat and working with other interested parties in assuring that ricelands remain a valuable place for wildlife.