Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program (NBHIP) (NBHIP)

The Nesting Bird Habitat Incentive Program (NBHIP) aims to address declines in local breeding waterfowl and ring-necked pheasant populations. It incentivizes landowners to cultivate upland cover including cover crops, cereal grains, grasses, forbs, and pollinator plants. NBHIP is funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) — approximately $2 million per year from a $10 surcharge on upland game bird and state duck hunting validations (established via AB 614, October 2021; authorized by AB 2697, 2018). The California Waterfowl Association leads private-land incentives on behalf of CDFW, and the U.S. Geological Survey conducts biological monitoring.

Private landowners in California are eligible.

NBHIP umbrellas four enrollable sub-programs: Delayed Cereal Grain Harvest; Fallow Agriculture; Rice Levee, Road Edge, and Agricultural Corridor; and Upland Management Agreements (long-term). Applications for 2026 ran February 15 – March 29 and are now closed.

Apply during the annual application window (February 15 – March 29 for 2026) via California Waterfowl; check back for the next round. See the individual sub-program pages for enrollment details.