Alabama Black Belt Prairie Initiative (BBP)

The Black Belt Prairie Initiative (BBP) offers 29 conservation practices that restore and enhance the Black Belt's ecosystem by supporting biodiversity and improving soil health. Available in the 19 counties of the Black Belt region and surrounding areas, it helps landowners offset the cost of installing prairie conservation practices by providing a rebate on installation costs.

Landowners in the 19 counties of the Black Belt region and surrounding areas. The inquiry form collects name, county, acreage, current land usage, and practices of interest; no further eligibility criteria are published on the program page.

BBP provides a rebate on installation costs for 29 eligible NRCS conservation practices grouped by resource concern — for example 590 Nutrient Management; 314 Brush Management, 338 Prescribed Burning, 512 Pasture and Hay Planting, 528 Prescribed Grazing; 550 Range Planting; 391 Riparian Forest Buffer, 578 Stream Crossing, 642 Well; 383/394 fire and fuel breaks; 516 Livestock Pipeline, 533 Pumping Plant, 514 Watering Facility; and terrestrial-habitat practices (420 Wildlife Habitat Planting, 422 Hedgerow Planting, 612 Tree Planting, 645/647/649 habitat management, 666 Forest Stand Improvement). No rebate percentages, per-practice rates, or per-producer caps are published.

Interested landowners complete the program's inquiry form, which asks for name, county, acreage, current land usage, resource concerns of interest, and contact information. As of September 2026 the online form is temporarily offline and the page directs inquiries to stacey.mobley@swcc.alabama.gov.