NRCS Maryland Opens Application Period for FY07 USDA Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program Funds

ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 8, 2006) --- Virginia (Ginger) L. Murphy, State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the opening of the application period for Maryland’s farmers to apply for conservation funding through USDA’s Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

Landowners interested in filing an application for funding consideration through WHIP should immediately contact their local NRCS or Soil Conservation District office located at USDA Service Centers. Applications are accepted continuously throughout the year. On December 15, 2006, applications which have been submitted will be ranked according to criteria that will determine which proposals offer the most wildlife habitat benefits for funding. A second application period may occur if conservation funds remain.

NRCS Maryland is running concurrent application periods for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and WHIP. EQIP, AMA, and WHIP applications will be ranked on December 15, 2006. WRP applications will be ranked on January 19, 2007. Information on these programs is available at USDA Service Centers or at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

"This is the 9th year that WHIP has provided opportunities for farmers and landowners to create wildlife habitat," said Murphy. This conservation funding provides cost-share reimbursement to farmers and landowners that plant grassland habitat or restore riparian buffers, streambanks, and wetlands for wildlife habitat. WHIP conservation practices restore and manage habitat to benefit game birds, song birds, waterfowl, and other wildlife.

WHIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and managers to restore upland, wetland, and riparian habitat areas on their property. The program provides full flexibility to landowners, offering cost-share agreements that usually range from 5 to 10 years in duration. Private and public schools are also eligible to apply for WHIP funds to improve wildlife habitat on their school grounds.

"Maryland enjoyed tremendous success during previous enrollment periods by assisting landowners to implement WHIP conservation practices," said Steve Strano, State Biologist and Program Manager for WHIP. “WHIP funding can help landowners pay for the planned restoration of upland habitat (primarily native grasses and forbs), riparian buffers, shallow water areas, wetlands, and control of exotic invasive plants (such as Phragmites) when needed to restore native habitat.”

NRCS State Conservationists, with advice from their State Technical Committee, identify high priority wildlife resource needs and conservation practices that are eligible for cost-share assistance through WHIP. Other cooperating wildlife agencies or nonprofit organizations may provide expertise and additional cost-share funds to help landowners implement their projects.

"NRCS Maryland works in partnership with the local Soil Conservation Districts, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tailor WHIP to meet the state’s priority natural resource needs," said Strano. "The Maryland WHIP was updated this year to address wildlife conservation needs as outlined in the state’s Wildlife Diversity Conservation Plan. WHIP is an important conservation program because it provides opportunities for those who are interested in managing their lands for wildlife and restoring habitat that was lost due to intensive farming and urbanization. "

Based on Maryland's identified wildlife habitat priorities, conservation practices eligible for WHIP funding in Maryland include those that involve the:

• Restoration and management of grassland habitat to benefit ground nesting birds and wildlife;
• Restoration and management of riparian corridor habitat to benefit terrestrial and aquatic species;
• Restoration and management of forested corridors that connect isolated woodland habitat patches to other patches or existing corridors;
• Restoration and management of shallow water and wetland habitat to benefit waterfowl, wading birds, and wildlife; and
• Restoration and management of native upland and wetland habitats where invasive species have become established and are adversely affecting habitat functions.

“Conservation benefits provided through participation in WHIP will also reduce the impacts of invasive species by restoring habitats to their native plant communities,” said Strano.

To qualify for WHIP, the application must consist of at least one acre of eligible wildlife habitat improvement practices, or at least $300 of WHIP cost-share assistance. Lands already enrolled in other USDA programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, and the Wetlands Reserve Program are not eligible for WHIP.

NRCS is USDA’s lead conservation agency and has worked hand-in-hand with farmers and landowners for more than 70 years to conserve natural resources on private lands. Maryland’s landowners can learn more about WHIP and other conservation programs by visiting the NRCS Maryland homepage at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov.