2026 Fallow Agriculture Incentive Program Application

The Fallow Agriculture Incentive Program pays farmers to provide waterfowl nesting habitat on their fallow fields during the spring and summer. We’ll rank the fields based on proximity to water, vegetation quality, and proximity to perpetually protected properties. Program Requirements: Fallow agricultural fields must have planted cover crops or significant volunteer vegetation on them and be left undisturbed until July 15th. Enrolled fields with volunteer vegetation will receive $30/acre, and fields with planted cover crops will receive $110/acre. Fields must have at least 8 inches of vegetation on 60% or more of the field to meet the minimum requirements for enrollment. Additionally, the fields must have reliable brood water (i.e. irrigation canals, habitat ponds or planted rice fields) within ½ mile of the fallow fields. Fields will be scored based on proximate water sources, condition of nesting cover, This brood water must remain until at least August 1, 2026. CWA and U.S. Geological Survey staff will be regularly monitoring enrolled fields for nesting activity by searching for nests every three weeks with ATVs and ropes. Any active nests will be checked on a weekly basis. Payments will be made shortly after July 15th if program requirements have been met. If you have questions, please contact Jason Coslovich at 408-644-3525 or jcoslovich@calwaterfowl.org