Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
Conservation Incentive Program Fact Sheet
- Program Name: Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
- Abbreviation: WHIP
- Primary Goal: Creation and Improvement of Wildlife Habitat.
- Contact Agency: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- Where Applicable: Statewide.
- Other Sources of Information: Virginia Departmentof Game and Inland Fisheries Wildlife Biologist
Prepared by Virginia State Technical Advisory Committee.
Program Description and Requirements
The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for landowners and landusers who want to develop or improve wildlife habitat on private agriculture related lands.
Participants work with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to prepare a wildlife habitat development plan. This plan describes the landowners goals for improving wildlife habitat and includes a list of practices and a schedule for installation.
A 10-year contract to provide cost share and technical assistance to carry out the plan. In Virginia, these plans will be prepared to address one or more of the following high priority habitat needs: early secessional/grassland habitats that are home to game species such as quail and rabbit, as well as other non-game species like meadowlark and sparrows; riparian zones along streams and rivers that provide benefits to aquatic life and terrestrial species; migration corridors which provide resting and cover habitats for migrating songbirds, waterfowl and shorebird species; and decreasing natural habitat systems which are environmentally sensitive and have been impacted and reduced through human activities.
Cost-share assistance up to 75% of the total cost of installation (not to exceed $10,000 per applicant) is available for establishing habitat. Applicants will be competitively ranked within the state. Certain areas and practices will receive higher ranking based on their value to wildlife.
Types of practices include: disking, prescribed burning, mowing, planting habitat, converting fescue to warm season grasses, establishing riparian buffers, creating habitat for waterfowl, and installing filter strips, field borders and hedgerows.
All programs, activities, and services of the conservation partnership are available to people on a nondiscriminatory basis regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, physical ability, political affiliation, and marital or familial status. We are all equal opportunity employers.
Last modified 2007-07-12