The AR-LA Conservation Delivery Network

Open Pine Landscape Restoration

Regional Conservation Partnership Program

How to Improve Your Land for Wildlife!


Financial and technical assistance are available for landowners through a partnership among the AGFC, LDWF, Quail Forever, the USDA-NRCS and many more partners in the AR-LA WGCP CDN.

We can help you transform dense forests into healthy, open woodlands, savannas, and native prairies that support quail, turkey, deer, and songbirds.


Funding is available to help with:

    • Forest Stand Improvement: Thinning dense woods to create open habitat.

    • Prescribed Fire: A key tool for maintaining healthy ecosystems.

    • Bird Monitoring: See the results of your hard work.

      See the AR-LA WGCP CDN Open Pine Landscape Restoration RCPP #2 (3631) Boundary map below.

AR-LA WGCP CDN Open Pine Landscape Restoration RCPP #2 (3631) Boundary map

Everyone is welcome to apply for the Open Pine RCPP.  Based on the current ranking criteria and past application success, those applications most likely to be successful in this program will contain the following, based on landowner objective, location and/or size, and ability to complete habitat management practices:

  • Wildlife is the priority for management on your property.

  • Your applications include lands in preferred location and/or size consideration categories noted below

    • located in the FY26 Open Pine RCPP #2 high priority area (kmz layer can be found at the bottom of this page to view on Google Earth)

    • contains 245 acres or more located inside or outside of the FY26 Open Pine RCPP #2 high priority area. This acreage must be upland pine, hardwoods, prairie, cutover, or early successional fields that can be managed in very open conditions and with prescribed fire  (see example pictures at the top of this page).

    • is located adjacent to existing upland pine, hardwood, prairie, cutover, or early successional landscapes that are already managed in very open conditions and/or with prescribed fire.

  • You have the ability to complete or work with a consultant/contractor to complete habitat work including timber harvest, prescribed fire, and other management as appropriate on the property.

    • Please note, other programs are also available that may be better suited for smaller acreage. Please still submit your contact information if wildlife is your priority or contact your local biologist to find the best fit for your situation and management objectives!

READY TO GET STARTED? CLICK BELOW!

Click here for lands in arkansas
Click here for lands in Louisiana
 
Breaking news: RCPP #2 Approved

The first AR-LA Conservation Delivery Network Open Pine Landscape Restoration Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP #2319) was initially approved for 5 years of funding (2022-2026) in 8 counties of Arkansas and 8 parishes of Louisiana. All of the funding was obligated for this program as of 2025, resulting in 66 total contracts totaling $3,972,000+. These contracts include over 53,000 acres of management practices on over 9,000 acres of land - most receiving multiple management practices over the next few years.

The success of these projects is being monitored, with demonstrated results of priority birds showing up on many contracted properties already! The sounds and sights of Northern Bobwhite, Prairie Warblers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and Eastern Wild Turkey among other birds are becoming increasingly common on properties in this program and those managed similarly within our geography! These birds and others are positively responding to the work funded through the project, with some properties seeing their first Northern Bobwhite since the 1980s and others planning their first quail hunts with bird dogs (under current ownership).

The second Open Pine RCPP (#3631) was approved to go forward with a substantial budget of $21,250,000 with 5 years of funding (2025-2029) in 27 counties of Arkansas and 20 parishes of Louisiana. This program will build upon previous successes and increase populations of the open pine priority birds in our region. The total landscape restoration goal is to greatly improve forest health for wildlife resources in the West Gulf Coastal Plain on at least 70,000 acres across both RCPP projects.

 
 

Open Pine RCPP #2 Factsheet

For more info, see the Open Pine RCPP #2 Factsheet! For assistance reaching out to your local biologist, please click the buttons above if your land is in AR or LA.