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Camden County Soil Conservation District |
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program Funds Available
Landowners can sign up
from February 12 through June 15 for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), a voluntary program
for wildlife habitat enhancement, administrated by the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS). The USDA program provides up to 75% cost sharing
for wildlife habitat improvement practices, as well as technical assistance to
implement the practices on private lands. In New Jersey, high priorities for
WHIP are: certain declining wildlife species, fish habitat enhancements,
species impacted by agriculture, and school site habitat development.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, begun in 1998, has generated a great deal of interest among wildlife enthusiasts who own land in New Jersey. More than 130 landowners have implemented WHIP practices on over 5,000 acres: 30 landowners have enhanced habitat for grassland birds; 24 landowners have targeted bobwhite quail; 17 sites have been managed to protect the federally threatened bog turtle; 30 schools now have wildlife habitat sites supported by WHIP.
WHIP applications are ranked according to environmental benefits and cost effectiveness. The highest-ranking projects are provided funding to implement a 5-10 year wildlife habitat development plan. Local NRCS conservationists provide planning assistance, with help from an NRCS biologist and fish and wildlife biologists from partner organizations, such as the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife. The wildlife habitat development plan will describe the landowner's wildlife habitat goals, list the habitat improvement practices desired, and include a schedule of implementation.
To sign up for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program through the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, or for more information on WHIP priority
categories and benefits, landowners can contact their USDA Service Center or
Soil Conservation District.
EQIP and CCSP
New Jersey producers can sign up for cost-sharing assistance for funding under USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the New Jersey Conservation Cost Share Program (CCSP). EQIP and CCSP are authorized to address agriculture's priority natural resource and environmental concerns.
Under these voluntary programs,
USDA and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture provide cost share assistance
to family-sized farms for 50 to 90 percent of the costs of implementing
conservation systems which also provide environmental protection and
enhancement. Approved practices include grassed waterways, filter strips,
manure storage facilities, pesticide containment facilities, and capping
abandoned wells. Producers may also receive incentive payments for applying
such land management practices associated with nutrient, manure, irrigation
water, wildlife, and integrated pest management. EQIP, administered by the USDA
Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, also provides farmers
with technical and educational assistance.
EQIP and CCSP applications will be evaluated for funding approval based on environmental benefits and other factors. Proposals in New Jersey's priority areas will receive the majority of the USDA funding. The remaining cost-sharing funds will be allocated throughout the state. Priority areas are chosen because of their environmental sensitivity and significant natural resource concerns, such as manure management, soil erosion control, and water quality.
Producers may sign-up for EQIP and CCSP at any Soil Conservation District Office or USDA Service Center. Producers can also work with NRCS to develop their own conservation plans without cost sharing.
