Conducting an assessment and producing a written report and a plan that provides recommendations specific to the property and management practices for implementing biodiversity-enhancing Best Management Practices.

Improving or creating connectivity of fragmented habitat for plant and animal species through plantings. Corridors include protected areas of tall grass, shrubs, and/or trees and may be composed of existing fencerows, field edges, and marginal lands that effectively connect natural areas. Mowing, if desired, must occur after July 15 to protect nesting birds.

Installing new fencing and livestock watering systems infrastructure to strengthen rotational grazing systems and enhance habitat for grassland birds.

Installing erosion control structures in riparian zones with concentrated water flow, and soils with moderate to steep slopes susceptible to severe water erosion.

Installing permanent fencing to exclude livestock from water’s edge or riparian areas. A riparian area is the area adjacent to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water.

Installing permanent fencing to exclude livestock from forest/woodland areas and treed corridors (i.e., windbreak, bufferstrip).

Purchase, construction and installation of species-specific habitat structures and enhancements to natural habitat for specific Species at Risk.

Improving stream crossings for livestock or equipment when enhancing or replacing an existing crossing.

Implementation of Best Management Practices to control invasive plantInvasive species are non-native species whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy , or society.species.

Native grassland restoration (includes native prairie and savannah), including establishment along the water’s edge or in upland areas.

Planting of native trees or shrubs in areas where the chosen tree species will not prove harmful to Species at Risk (SAR). Types of supported tree planting projects are: reforestation (block tree planting), tree windbreaks, or buffer strips.

SAR Habitat improvement projects that do not fit other eligible Best Management Practices but directly benefit SAR identified in in your Habitat Self Assessment.

Do you have an idea for a SAR habitat project that does not fit the Best Management Practices listed in the online program guide? Contact OSCIA directly by emailing SARFIP@ontariosoilcrop.org to discuss your project before applying.

Restoration of wetlands, returning them to their original size, depth and ecological function.