BirdReturns Late Summer Farmlands Habitat Program

"The objective of the BirdReturns-2026 Late Summer Farmlands Habitat Program is to incentivize farmers to create shallow wetland habitat for migrating shorebirds and other species when flooded habitat for migrating shorebirds is scarce in late summer and early fall. By maintaining shallow, mud-flat conditions on idle or harvested and unvegetated fields for a five-week period in August and September, farmers can provide critical habitat while supporting their farms and local communities."

"Different from most other habitat incentive programs which offer participants compensation at a fixed rate, the BirdReturns Late Summer Farmlands Habitat Program requires applicants to submit bids that are informed by their unique costs and individual circumstances." Bids are stated as a dollar amount per acre and need not be itemized.

The program is managed by the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership (The Nature Conservancy, Audubon California, and Point Blue Conservation Science), with support from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Eligible applicants:

• Fields capable of maintaining flooding ("in the past some enrollee's fields have been too permeable to hold water")

• Fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento Valley

• Idle or rotating/resting fields, or fields harvested before the target habitat period that meet vegetation management requirements

• Fields 30 acres or larger (continuous smaller fields may be accepted)

• Open fields with no trees or vines within or immediately adjacent

• Fields with access to ground and/or surface water

Eligible crop types "include but are not limited to: wheat and other cereal grains, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, potatoes, sunflower, safflower, corn, or rice."

Ineligible applicants:

• Fields enrolled in any annual incentive program (i.e., NRCS EQIP) that provides payment to conduct flooding during the same time window proposed for enrollment

• Fields within 5 miles of major airports, including Sacramento International and Travis AFB

• Fields less than 30 acres in size

• Fields located close to population centers or within mosquito hot spots, depending on local conditions or concerns

Lessees may bid and participate "as long as they are authorized to sign a contract of this kind."

Bidding: Payments are made on the bid amount ($/acre) submitted by the applicant. BirdReturns "encourages applicants to consider the real costs they will incur to comply with the practice requirements" - field prep (disking, pulling berms, pulling drains), water supply, discretionary labor and field visits, and energy costs - and to exclude potential vector control treatment costs. "We reserve the right to reject any bids that are determined to be unreasonably priced."

Enrollment period: any continuous five-week period between August 3 and September 30, 2026; all enrollments begin on a Monday (start dates selectable between August 3 and August 31).

Water management: Weeks 1-3 flooding - maintain mudflat or ponded conditions puddled to a maximum depth of 4 inches, with no less than 75% of each enrolled field covered by water. Weeks 4-5 evaporative drawdown - allow standing water to evaporate; do not pull boards to drain or remove check levees.

Vegetation management: fields must have little to no standing vegetation, stubble, or crop residue; crop residue must be incorporated to expose the soil; standing crop stubble or other emergent vegetation must not exceed 10% cover.

Mosquito abatement: "Mosquito abatement costs incurred during the habitat period on enrolled fields will be fully reimbursable by BirdReturns... in 2026 if vegetation management requirements have been met prior to field flood up." Participants pay their Mosquito and Vector Control District directly and submit invoices to BirdReturns staff for reimbursement. All interested applicants must notify their local district of possible enrollment and flooding dates.

Scoring: "Sites will be scored and ranked based on bid price and characteristics important to habitat quality such as overall acreage, field size and location, timing and duration of flooding, and history of bird use in the general area." A diversity of crop types is selected. "Due to a smaller budget in 2026, we expect increased competition this year. Applicants that have earlier start dates and offer competitive pricing will rank higher." Previous participants who met program requirements receive additional weighting; first-time participants are also encouraged to apply.

Payment: per the 2026 participant contract template, the Participation Fee (enrolled acres x $/acre) is paid within 30 days following the end of the drawdown period and verification that habitat requirements were satisfied; the agreement expires October 30, 2026. Participants must allow the Conservancy access at least twice per week for monitoring.

Relationship to Bid4Birds: "The Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership is collaborating with the California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation to ensure BirdReturns and Bid4Birds remain closely aligned... We encourage applicants to apply to both programs. However, if you are selected, you may only enroll a given field in one program."

Application period: June 1 - June 22, 2026 by 11:59 pm (NOW CLOSED). Notices of Awards and Rejections were to be issued by July 20, 2026. "All bids are final once the application period is closed."

Bids are submitted through the online bid form: https://birdreturns.org/program/farmlands/submit-a-bid/ - the page is live but currently reads "We're sorry, but we are not currently accepting applications. For more information, please contact us at birds@tnc.org."

New in 2026: each individual field submitted in a bid must be entered on a separate line, and there is a 500-acre cap per property in the initial bid analysis unless more funding becomes available. Applicants whose fields fall in mosquito hot spots should contact the BirdReturns program manager (jbarfield@tnc.org) before applying.

To be notified when the next cycle opens, sign up for BirdReturns email updates: https://forms.gle/nmtnQuPAtvzUyV7B7.

• 2026 Late Summer Farmlands Program flyer (PDF): https://birdreturns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-LSF-Program-Flyer\_FINAL.pdf

• 2026 Late Summer Farmlands Participant Contract Template (PDF): https://birdreturns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Late-Summer-Farmlands-Participant-Contract-Template\_FINAL.pdf

• BirdReturns program FAQ: https://birdreturns.org/faq/

• Airport / mosquito hot spot exclusion map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1HB191Vikg7vOYh_Alt8_w7yZ0O87Dwk

• Sign up for BirdReturns email updates: https://forms.gle/nmtnQuPAtvzUyV7B7