Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP)

'For more information, please work with the Aquatic Habitat and Access Biologist in your area.'

Deadline text on the page: Guide p.25: 'Annual Payment is issued in May or November depending on the time of sign up.'

General office

Kris Cudmore

Aquatic Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 1)

Grant Truskowski

Kyle Potter

Aquatic Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 2)

Carter Knecht

Aquatic Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 3)

Tony Quail

Aquatic Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 4)

Rhet Russell

GFP leases private land next to lakes and streams for year-round public fishing access, paying a $500/year base annual payment plus amenity-based add-ons and an upfront signing bonus ($500/yr for a 5-year term, $1,000/yr for 10 years). Leases are often 1–5 acres but have no maximum. Terms on non-meandered waters are capped at 10 years.



- Private property adjoining waterbodies; guide: 'No size restrictions on acreage.'
- 'Can be paired with other programs like WIA for hunting and fishing access to increase payment.'

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

Guide: 'Non-Meandered Waters max term is set to 10 years.' Signing bonus repaid for unused full years if cancelled early; restrictions (e.g., ice access only) may reduce payment.

Published amounts: Web: bonus payments 'generally $500/yr for 5-year contract, $1,000/year for 10-year contract, etc.), along with annual payments to the landowner.' Guide p.25: '$500/year base payment term'; added payment rates based on access amenities and fishery.

Submit a Wildlife Damage Request for Service or contact your local Wildlife Damage Specialist.

Deadline text on the page: Request service any time.

GFP helps South Dakota producers keep flightless Canada geese out of growing crops by installing temporary electric fence around soybeans. It also offers up to $5,000 in cost-share for protective buffer strips (wheat, alfalfa or native grass) and up to $5,000 for woven-wire fence along wetland edges. Hazing, alternate feeding sites and egg addling are also provided.



- Producers with growing crops damaged by Canada geese.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Case by case with GFP staff.

Published amounts: Up to $5,000 cost-share for protective buffer strips (wheat, alfalfa or native grasses); 'GFP may also provide up to $5,000 of cost-share assistance to construct woven wire fence along the edge of wetlands'; temporary electric fence installation around soybeans.

Contact GFP landowner-program staff; CHAP Guidelines at https://habitat.sd.gov/resources/CHAP.aspx.

Deadline text on the page: No deadline published.

CHAP pays South Dakota landowners $10 per hunter per day (minimum $250 a year) for limited, foot-traffic public hunting that the landowner controls: number of hunters per day, species, type of take and open dates. New contracts of three years or longer earn a $1,000 signing bonus, and CHAPs of 1,000+ acres get an extra $250 per year.



- Guide: 'Enrolled land is open to limited public hunting access by foot-traffic only.'
- Landowners manage hunter access 'via direct contact or a self-serve check box or through an on-line reservation system.'

Signing bonuses for multi-year contracts providing priority opportunity for deer, elk, pheasant, turkey or waterfowl as set by the regional review team.

Published amounts: Guide p.16: 'CHAP annual payments are based on the number of hunters that use the area.' '$10/hunter/day'; 'Minimum annual payment of $250'; 'CHAPs of 1,000 acres or more receive additional $250/yr.' 'New CHAP Signing Bonus of $1,000 for a new three year or longer CHAP contract.'

Contact GFP landowner-program staff in your area.

Deadline text on the page: No deadline published.

Co-op areas lease whole-farm units of cropland and undisturbed habitat (wetlands, CRP, woody cover) for public walk-in hunting, while letting hunters drive on harvested cropland to place waterfowl decoys and disabled-permit hunters drive to hunt. GFP pays $1.25–$3 per acre per year depending on habitat share and vehicle rules, plus an upfront signing bonus on multi-year contracts.



- Guide: 'Whole farms units that offer a diverse mix of cropland and undisturbed habitat such as wetlands, CRP, and woody habitat'.
- 'The cooperator must be legally able (ownership or rental agreement that includes hunting privileges) to enroll offered land.'
- 'No hunting is allowed while farm machinery is present in the fields.'

Signing bonus 'must be repaid in full if the contract is terminated early for any reason by the cooperator.' Liability protection under SDCL 20-9-12 through 20-9-18.

Published amounts: Guide p.17: driving by all vehicles '$3/acre if at least 20% of the land leased is undisturbed habitat' or '$2/acre if less than 20%'; ATV/UTV-only $2.25 / $1.25 per acre. 'An upfront signing bonus is paid for multi-year contracts up to 10 years' = 1/2 of the annual payment x years.

Continuous signup at the local USDA Service Center/FSA office; facilitated by Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisors and GFP biologists (contact sheet).

Deadline text on the page: FSA fact sheet: 'Enrollment in CRP through the South Dakota Big Sioux River Watershed CREP is on a continuous basis.'

Mark Norton

SD Game, Fish and Parks (Pierre)

Joe Mayrose

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (McPherson, Brown, Marshall)

Dan DeBoer

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Roberts, Day)

Ben Lyons

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Clark)

Tom Zinter

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Kingsbury, Miner, McCook)

Cole Neibauer

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Brookings, Lake, Moody, Minnehaha)

Nick Goehring

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Lincoln, Clay, Union)

Calvin Meyer

Private Lands Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 4)

Dan Nelson

Will Gallman

Private Lands Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 3)

Todd Crownover

The Big Sioux River Watershed CREP pays eastern South Dakota producers enhanced CRP rent plus a state payment equal to 34% of the base soil rental rate. In return, they convert cropland and marginal pastureland in 18 counties to grass, wetland and buffer practices under 10–15 year contracts. All enrolled land is open to public hunting and fishing, and the project targets up to 25,000 acres.



- FSA fact sheet: 'To be eligible, land must be located in the project area and be either cropland or marginal pastureland.'
- Counties: Brookings, Clark, Clay, Codington, Day, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner, Union.
- Practices: CP4D, CP21, CP23, CP23A, CP25, CP29, CP30, CP37, CP43.
- 'all land enrolled is open to public hunting and fishing access.'

10- to 15-year CRP contracts; haying/grazing per local FSA office.

Published amounts: FSA fact sheet: signing incentive (SIP) = 32.5% of first annual rental payment; practice incentive (PIP) up to 50% of eligible costs; cost-share up to 50%; annual rent = base soil rental rate + 20% incentive (except CP4D) + maintenance payment; 'In addition, the State of South Dakota will provide an annual payment in an amount equal to 34 percent of the base soil rental rate.' 2026 max total rate/acre by county ranges from $207 (Marshall, Day) to $348 (Moody) (Guide p.21).

Guide: 'Enrollment is facilitated by working with a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist in coordination with GFP and USDA FSA.' Contact local USDA Service Center/FSA office or the PF Habitat Advisor for your county.

Deadline text on the page: Continuous CRP-based enrollment; 2026 maximum rental rates published 2/12/2026 (Guide p.20).

Cat Coggeshall

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Edmunds)

Cody Somsen

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Potter)

Mike Hagan

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Faulk, Hyde, Hand)

Sam Fryman

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Spink, Beadle)

Justin Enfield

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Jerauld, Sanborn, Aurora)

Annie Feden

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Davison, Hanson, Hutchinson, Yankton)

Chloe Wiersema

Pheasants Forever Habitat Advisor (Douglas, Bon Homme)

Tom Mitzel

SD Game, Fish and Parks - Aberdeen

Alex Elias

Kody Conlon

Private Lands Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 2)

John Mayrose

SD Game, Fish and Parks - Fort Pierre

Jessica Thiry

The James River Watershed CREP pays South Dakota producers higher-than-CRP annual rent (federal CRP plus a GFP payment averaging 31–34% of the CRP payment) to put cropland and marginal pastureland in the James River watershed into grass and wetland habitat under 10–15 year contracts. All enrolled acres must be open to public walk-in hunting and fishing through GFP's Walk-In Area program. The project aims to enroll 100,000 acres.



- JRW fact sheet: 'A minimum total block size of at least 40 acres for any one offer and contract is required to participate' (waivable case by case, including for socially disadvantaged, beginning or limited-resource farmers/ranchers).
- 'The acreage enrolled in CREP must also be enrolled in the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Walk-In Area Program for hunting and fishing access'.
- 'At least 51 percent of all land under each offer and contract must be located within the James River watershed.'
- Cropland must meet cropping history criteria; marginal pastureland along streams may qualify.

10- to 15-year contracts; annual rental from FSA and GFP; expired CRP may be re-enrolled into CREP.

Published amounts: Guide p.19: 'GFP’s annual payments average between 31-34% of the CRP payment in addition to the payment made by FSA on the CRP contract.' 2026 max total (CRP + GFP) rental rate/acre by county ranges from $105 (Hyde) to $264 (Yankton) (Guide p.20).

Submit a Wildlife Damage Request for Service (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/016df28746e7424ab22046dbbbe32b32/) or contact your local Wildlife Damage Specialist.

Deadline text on the page: Request service any time (Wildlife Damage Request for Service).

Tyler Bartels

Regional Program Manager, Wildlife Damage (Region 2)

Brad Baumgartner

Regional Program Manager, Wildlife Damage (Region 3)

Nick Rossman

Regional Program Manager, Wildlife Damage (Region 4)

GFP cost-shares up to $10,000 for South Dakota producers to build permanent stackyards, or provides portable panels or secure covers, to protect stored hay, corn, silage and other feed from deer in winter. It also helps with deer damage to growing crops, orchards and property through hazing, temporary fencing, short-stop baiting and, in some cases, lethal control or depredation hunts.



- Landowners and producers experiencing deer damage to stored livestock feed, growing crops, orchards or property.

Approach determined case by case by GFP staff with the landowner.

Published amounts: 'GFP offers up to $10,000 worth of cost-share assistance to construct permanent protective stackyards' or portable panels/secure covers; plus hazing, temporary fencing, short-stop baiting, lethal control/depredation hunts.

GFP cost-shares up to $15,000 for stackyards (or provides portable panels) to protect stored feed from elk, and supplies up to $15,000 of fencing materials and protective cable to reduce fence damage. It also offers up to $8,000 for growing-season food plots where elk feed on alfalfa or crops, and up to $4,000 for hay land contracts. Hazing, temporary fencing, baiting and depredation hunts are also available.



- Landowners and producers experiencing elk damage; hay land contracts are 'for grasslands that are annually hayed by landowners, not grazed by livestock and have elk feeding upon these areas.'

Case by case with GFP staff.

Published amounts: Up to $15,000 stackyard cost-share; 'up to $15,000 worth of fencing materials and protective cable'; 'up to $8,000 of cost-share assistance to landowners for growing-season food-plots'; 'up to $4,000 of cost-share assistance for hay land contracts'.

Contact GFP landowner-program staff; sign a one-year contract.

Deadline text on the page: Guide p.18: one-year hunting-season contracts, 'reevaluated each following year and renewed if criteria are still met'; hunter information sheets due 'no later than January 31st'.

EHAP pays South Dakota landowners with heavy elk use in the Black Hills elk units a per-acre base payment ($0.50/acre antlerless-only, up to $2,000; $1.00/acre any-elk, up to $7,000), plus $200 per elk harvested, for letting licensed elk hunters on their land. The landowner controls how many hunters come, when and where. The aim is to reduce elk depredation through harvest.



- Web: 'Private land anywhere in the Black Hills elk hunting units will be considered.' (Guide: 'Private lands are eligible if they are within the boundaries of any elk unit.')
- Landowner must complete the Elk Access Hunter Information Sheet; failure voids payment.

GFP does not sign boundaries or publish maps; landowner contact info shared with license holders on request. Removal possible if no elk harvest over a 3-year span and hunters not using the property.

Published amounts: Guide p.18: 'Base payments start at $0.50 per acre enrolled for antlerless elk only access' (max contract base payment $2,000); 'Base payments start at $1.00 per acre enrolled for Any Elk access' (max $7,000); '$200 incentive for each harvested elk'.

Contact a GFP Private Lands Habitat Biologist (regional list below / PLBStaff.pdf).

Deadline text on the page: Seed provided each spring; 'Payments are made in February/March.'

Michael Peyton

Private Lands Habitat and Access Biologist (Region 1)

Tom Miklos

Ben Pucket

GFP pays South Dakota landowners $20 per acre per year ($80 per acre on Walk-In Areas) for wildlife food plots left standing through winter, and provides free food plot seed each spring. Up to 20 acres per quarter section can be enrolled, with no limit per landowner. Payments are made in February/March.



- 'Food plots must remain unharvested through winter.' (2026 Guide: 'Food plots must remain unharvested/standing through March 15th.')
- 'Maximum of 20 acres per quarter section.' 'Enrollment acres unlimited per landowner.'
- Guide: 'Cooperators must allow some amount of reasonable public hunting.'

Annual per-acre payment; all projects subject to approval by a GFP private lands habitat biologist.

Published amounts: 'Annual payment of $20 per acre for food plot acres ($80 per acre if planted on Walk-In Areas).' 'Maximum of 20 acres per quarter section.' Free seed (corn, sorghum, brood mix, big game mix).

Contact a GFP Private Lands Habitat Biologist.

Deadline text on the page: No deadline published.

GFP reimburses South Dakota landowners for the seed cost of converting cropland to grassland for grazing and/or wildlife, creating nesting habitat for pheasants and ducks. The 2026 guide caps reimbursement at $125 per acre, favors native grass and forb mixes, and requires plantings of at least 10 acres. Cost-share is not available on CRP or WRP plantings.



- Cropland being converted to grassland.
- 'Cost-share is not available on CRP or WRP plantings.'
- Guide: 'Native grass and forb seed mixes are the priority and plantings must be at least 10 acres.'

One-time payment on completion; guide: 'Additional incentives available if plantings are enrolled into public hunting access program'.

Published amounts: Web: 'Landowners are reimbursed for 100% of the costs incurred for seed.' Guide p.3: 'Landowners are reimbursed 100% up to a maximum of $125/acre for seed costs.' 'One-time payment made upon project completion.'

GFP typically reimburses South Dakota landowners 100% of fencing material costs to protect new or existing habitat from livestock, set up rotational grazing paddocks, or replace woven wire with wildlife-friendly fence. Payment is made once the project is complete.



- Private landowners with habitat needing livestock protection or wildlife-friendly fence conversion; subject to GFP biologist approval and reasonable public hunting (guide).

Materials reimbursement; one-time payment on completion.

Published amounts: 'Landowners are typically reimbursed for 100% of their fencing material costs.' 'One-time payment made upon project completion.'

GFP reimburses South Dakota landowners 100% of seed and planting costs, up to $150 per acre, for small high-diversity native perennial plantings that serve pollinators and upland bird broods. Plantings are small: 2–9 acres on the web page, or 1–9 acres per the 2026 guide. Cost-share is not available on CRP or WRP plantings.



- Web: '2-9 acres'; Guide: 'Individual plantings must be a minimum of 1 acre and a maximum of 9 acres'.
- 'Cost-share is not available on CRP or WRP plantings.'

'One-time payment made upon project completion.'

Published amounts: Web: 'Landowners are reimbursed for 100% of the costs incurred for seed and planting (up to $150/acre).' Guide p.3: 'Landowners are reimbursed 100% up to a maximum of $150/acre for seed costs'.

RHEP pays South Dakota landowners a one-time rental payment (75% of the county NASS pasture rate per year, for a 10-year contract) to fence livestock out of riparian areas along streams. GFP also cost-shares the exclusion fence and alternative water sources. An access incentive of $10 per acre per year is available.



- Riparian areas adjoining streams and waterways; 'Minimum width of 35 feet and maximum width of 240 feet.'
- Guide: 'No grazing allowed for first 5 years and grazing in any subsequent years requires approval by a Private Lands Habitat Biologist.'

'10-year contract.' Eligible for riparian shrub clump plantings; up to 120 ft additional width allowed to extend CRP marginal pastureland buffers.

Published amounts: Guide p.9: 'One-time rental payment of 75% per year of the county NASS rate for pasture.' 'Cost share for exclusion fence and alternative water sources based on GFP Private Lands Program rates.' 'Access incentive of $10/acre/year enrolled.'

GFP installs protective netting on bales of oats, silage or other small grains to stop turkey damage on South Dakota farms. It also provides hazing, temporary fencing, alternate feeding sites and, in some cases, lethal control or depredation hunts.



- Landowners and producers experiencing turkey damage.

A reduction or waiving of fees for meeting a certain criteria.

Discount

Case by case with GFP staff.

Published amounts: No dollar amount; in-kind netting and direct assistance.

Contact GFP landowner-program staff in your area (LandownerProgram.pdf offices / Private Lands Habitat and Access Biologists).

Deadline text on the page: Guide p.16: 'Annual Payment is issued in February following fall hunting season.'

GFP's Walk-In Area program pays South Dakota landowners an annual per-acre payment, plus liability protection, for opening private land to unlimited foot-traffic public hunting through all hunting seasons. Payments are higher for undisturbed habitat (CRP, wetlands, woody cover, grassland), and multi-year contracts can earn an upfront signing bonus. Over 1,400 landowners enroll more than 1.2 million acres.



- Private land with valuable hunting opportunity; guide: 'Enrolled land is open to public hunting access for the duration of all hunting seasons and is limited to foot-traffic only.'
- Restrictions possible (e.g., not open until Nov 1 at 50% payment; no hunting in unharvested crops).

Annual payment each February; liability protection under SDCL 20-9-12 through 20-9-18; signing bonus repaid if cancelled early.

Published amounts: Guide p.16: Eastern SD + Lyman, Gregory & Tripp: '$1/acre - base access annual payment' and '+$9/acre - habitat bonus annual payment for undisturbed habitat'; Western SD: 'Most WIAs annual payments range from $0.60 – 1.50/acre'. Signing bonus for multi-year contracts: 'Up to $5/ac/year' (Butte, Meade, Lawrence, Pennington, Jackson, Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota, Bennett) or 'Up to $10/ac./year for undisturbed habitat in rest of the state'; 'Must be paid back in full if contract is cancelled early'.

Send a tree plan (with landowner contact information) and color aerial photo of the project location to a GFP private lands habitat biologist by November 1.

Deadline text on the page: 2026 Guide p.5: send a tree plan and aerial photo to a GFP private lands habitat biologist 'by November 1 for planning and ensuring tree species availability. If applications do not meet annual planting objectives, this deadline may be extended.'

GFP cost-shares woody wildlife habitat on South Dakota private land, including new wildlife shelterbelts (8+ rows), shelterbelt renovations, riparian shrub clumps, and hardwood release (removing competing species) in the Black Hills and native hardwood forests. Cost-share is 75% (up to $20,000 for plantings or $30,000 for renovations), rising to 100% if the land is in a public hunting access program for 5+ years. Contracts are 15 years and landowners must allow reasonable free hunting access.



- Guide: 'New plantings must be a minimum of 8 rows wide and at least 1 acre in size.'
- 'Lands converted by the current owner from native sod to cropland in the previous 5 years are not eligible.'
- 'GFP will not provide cost-share on any trees that the landowner is receiving cost share from another entity or program.'
- 'Landowners enrolled in this program retain access control to their property but are required to allow some type of reasonable free hunting access.'

'Contracts are 15 years in length.' Payment after project completion and receipts; early removal requires full reimbursement. '$5,000 of the $20,000 or $30,000 maximums can be used for cost share for temporary deer fencing protection.' Hardwood release: projects 1/2 acre+, 15-year contracts, forest management plan; protective fence at 50% up to $3.50/ft.

Published amounts: Guide p.5-7: 'GFP will reimburse landowners for 75% of costs incurred for planting woody habitat up to $20,000.' 90% for rows added to CRP tree plantings; '100% of landowner costs will be reimbursed if the landowner’s property is enrolled into a public hunting access program for 5 or more years'; '75% of landowner costs will be reimbursed for shelterbelt renovations and replanting up to $30,000.' Hardwood release: '75% cost share for mastication or hand removal of undesirable species competing with desired hardwood deciduous tree species.' '$600 maximum cost share per acre'; 'Maximum cost share of $15,000 per landowner per year.'

GFP cost-shares conservation practices on South Dakota working grasslands. These include perimeter and cross fence, woven-wire replacement in pronghorn range, water development (pipelines, tanks, rural water hook-ups, wells, solar pumps), stock/wildlife impoundments, wetland restorations and creations, grassland establishment, riparian pastures and wildlife-friendly fence. Grazing infrastructure is typically 50% cost-share with project maximums, and wetland restorations are 100% of approved invoices.



- Private landowners with working grasslands in South Dakota.
- Guide: 'All projects are subject to approval by a GFP private lands habitat biologist. Cooperators must allow some amount of reasonable public hunting.'

Guide: GFP does not currently cost-share virtual fence (partners may, typically 50%).

Published amounts: Guide p.8: grazing infrastructure 'Cost share rates are typically 50% with project maximums.' Wetland restorations: '100% of approved invoices to restore or enhance wetland basins through ditch plug installation and/or drain tile breakage or removal.' Guide p.3: 'Additional incentives available if enrolled into public hunting access program'.

List of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) Funding Opportunities