Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Rooted & Resilient (AMP)2026-05-06T08:25:57-05:00

Making the most out of your fields, nature’s way.

Across the Fox-Wolf River Basin, we are working with farmer’s and agricultural landowners to turn their marginal, problem acres into long-term and permanent conservation practices that harness the power of nature. It’s a win-win for us all.

Making the most out of your fields, nature’s way.

Across the Fox-Wolf River Basin, we are working with farmer’s and agricultural landowners to turn their marginal, problem acres into long-term and permanent conservation practices that harness the power of nature. It’s a win-win for us all.

What We’re Doing

We partner with farmers and agricultural landowners looking to implement permanent or long-term conservation practices that improve water quality and strengthen the health of their soil and land.

Our comprehensive program includes support along every step.

Fox-Wolf and supporting county partners work with farmers and agricultural landowners to build a better understanding of their fields, working to identify what sites are best suited for conservation practices.

For farmers, diving deeper into your acre’s ROI can be important. Utilizing Precision Conservation Farm Planning, project partner Pheasants Forever will use existing farm data to identify underperforming, low-yielding, and marginal field acres. This analysis can help identify the placement of long-term or permanent conservation practices based on field level yield data.

Technical assistance will be provided by supporting County Land Conservation Departments, Pheasants Forever, and other approved Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) for all enrolled farmers and agricultural landowners to guide them through all aspects of planning and designing.

Our technical assistance providers will support landowners through the process of practice implementation.

Fox-Wolf provides incentives for practice implementation. Additional land-value based incentives available moving marginal farmland out of production.

For Farmers

why participate?

As a farmer, you probably know that not every acre is the same. Some are just marginal – muddy messes for most of the year, corners that are hard to reach with modern machinery, or soil that doesn’t seem to produce a good crop, even with cover crops and no-till.

These acres call for a different approach: perennial conservation practices that stabilize challenging areas year over year, giving these marginal acres a new purpose, while saving you time and money in the long run.

Precision Conservation Farm Planning

Placing Conservation with Marginal Acre Identification

Farm Planning is an important first step in determining the best placement of conservation practices within working lands. Pheasants Forever offers this service and unlimited technical assistance to support farmers in using data, such as soils, NDVI & historical imagery, production history, and precision agriculture data to identify chronically underperforming, marginal field acres.

These areas, where input costs exceed crop revenue, can be targeted for conservation practices that enhance water quality, soil health, wildlife habitat, and overall economic returns. Project partner Pheasants Forever offers Farm Planning services free of cost.

Step #1: Field Analysis

Using multiple years of field-specific yield data, budgets, as-applied inputs, physical site characteristics, and operator insight, we create profit maps to identify historic trends in return on investment.

Step #2: Identify Options

We work with producers to compare how alternative management can increase profitability on poor ROI acres.

Step #3: Implementation

We work with producers to find cost share programs and provides technical assistance to install conservation practice on poor ROI acres.

For Landowners

why participate?

Though you may not be the one planting the fields each spring, as an agricultural landowner you still have skin in the game. You want to keep your land productive and beautiful for generations to come.

Fox-Wolf is partnering with agricultural landowners to do just that – with conservation. Whether you’re ready to turn your acres into a hunter’s paradise, keep topsoil on your field, or restore wildlife habitat, we’re here to help make that a reality.

Eligibility &
Program Requirements

  • Participant must be legal property owner.

  • Participant must be registered with USDA-FSA and have FSA assigned farm, field, & tract ID(s) for the project area.

  • Project area must be identified on FSA records as actively farmed.

  • Practice must be a new adoption; a participant cannot contract for the same practice on the same land that they currently receive cost share or incentives.

  • Project fields must be located within the boundaries of the Fox-Wolf River Basin (see map).

  • Applications may be initiated by participants or by project partners (Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Waushara, or Winnebago County Land Conservation Departments, or Pheasants Forever).

Ready to Enroll?

Do you fit the eligibility requirements listed above?

Farmers and agricultural landowners may enroll through a Basin County Land Conservation Department (listed above) or with Fox-Wolf directly. Before enrolling, please reach out to Fox-Wolf or your County Land Conservation Department.

Exploring What’s Possible

We’re offering a variety of practices to meet the needs of your fields. Explore what we all have to offer.

Practices are broken down into two categories: Engineered, practices requiring engineering to design and install, & Ecosystem Restoration, practices that do not provide engineering to install. Engineered practices are incentivized at 100% cost of implementation. Ecosystem Restoration practices are incentivized at a flat-rate payment.

Ecosystem Restoration Practices

Native Plantings

Conservation Cover, Field Borders, & Filter Strips

Tree Plantings

Tree & Shrub Establishment

Grassy farm lane and a line of fence posts bordering a green pasture on Rachel Bouressa’s farm, with trees and a cloudy blue sky in the distance.

Pasture Plantings

Pasture & Hay Planting

Engineered Practices

Soil Erosion Control

Critical Area Planting, Grade Stabilization Structure, WASCB

Water Control & Management

Diversion, Two-Stage Ditch, Lined Waterway, & Grassed Waterway

Wetland Restoration

Wetland Restoration (Scrapes)

Technical Assistance Providers

Fox-Wolf is seeking Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) for Rooted & Resilient projects.

TAPs will provide participants assistance with project design, permitting, required environmental evaluation/cultural resource analysis work, and construction guidance. To learn more about TAP requirements and to submit an RFP, follow the link below. TAP applications will be accepted through August of 2027. Project work is anticipated to begin summer of 2026.

Project Information

Enrollment for Rooted & Resilient is set to begin late spring/early summer of 2026. Stay tuned for updates!

Learn more about Fox-Wolf’s Agriculture Program →

Learn more about Fox-Wolf’s Wetland Restoration Program →

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Implementation Partners
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Implementation Partners

Project Updates

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G071. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Office Location: 526 W Wisconsin Ave, Appleton, WI 54911
Mailing Address: PO Box 1861, Appleton, WI 54912

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