Black-capped Vireo

EQIP funds will encourage conservation measures that will facilitate recovery of the federally listed Black-capped Vireo. These projects will provide landowners with technical and financial assistance to implement practices that will restore and maintain Black-capped Vireo habitat.

Resource Concern:

Eligible Counties:

Screening Criteria:

The following question must be answered yes in order for the application to be ranked.

At least 75 percent of the offered acres is composed of any of the following Ecological Sites
 
Low Stony Hill
Steep Rocky
Steep Adobe
Limestone Hill

Yes_____ No_____

High Priority Practices (At least 75 percent of contract dollars must be used for these high priority practices)

Brush Management (juniper and mesquite)
Brush Management (shrub renovation)
Prescribed Burning
Cowbird Trapping (Incentive)

Facilitating Practices:

Fencing
Water Development
Range Planting

Cost Share Rates:

Limited Resource Farmers/Ranchers - 90 percent
Beginning Farmers/Ranchers - 50 percent
All others - 50 percent
Incentive - Cowbird Trapping - 100 percent FR ($1000 incentive per contract per year for up to three years)

Practices will be cost shared based on the established county average cost of the practice.

Ranking Criteria

(Circle points for A, B, or C based on predominant acres)

A. The predominant acreage within the offered acres currently supports a 30 percent-60 percent canopy of low¹ deciduous shrubs² which meet Black-capped Vireo habitat criteria and has at least a 10 percent canopy of juniper and/or mesquite that will be removed³.
100 Points


B. The predominant acreage within the offered acres currently supports a 30 percent-60 percent canopy of deciduous shrubs²; however, the canopy is sparse at the 0 – 4 ft level and does not meet the criteria for Black-capped Vireo habitat. Renovation of deciduous shrubs will be conducted to stimulate re-sprouting and creation of favorable habitat.
50 Points

C. The predominant acreage within the offered acres currently supports 15 percent-29 percent canopy of low deciduous shrubs² which does not meet Black-capped Vireo habitat requirements and has at least a 10 percent canopy of juniper and/or mesquite that will be removed.
20 Points

Incentive (Incentive points are added to Ranking Points above)

Cowbird Trapping – Participant agrees to conduct brown-headed cowbird trapping according to TPWD guidelines
10 points

Score_________

75 percent or more of the contract dollars must go towards the high priority resource concern of restoring Black-capped Vireo habitat. Up to 25 percent of contract dollars may go towards facilitating practices if needed to improve, maintain or manage BCV habitat.

Footnotes:
¹ A low canopy is defined as 30 percent -60 percent canopy from ground level up to 6 feet
² Low deciduous shrubs used by BCV include any mixture of the following: shin oak,live oak, elbowbush, greenbriar, redbud, hacKBerry, algerita, persimmon, buckeye, bumelia, sumac.
³ Brush management within existing habitat as described in A will not occur between March and August since this is the nesting season for the Black-capped Vireo.