Funds Available For Wildlife Habitat

TORRINGTON — The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the deadline for applications for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is March 5.

WHIP is a voluntary program to assist landowners in creating, restoring, and enhancing wildlife habitat primarily on private lands. It provides both technical assistance and cost-share payments to help establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat.

Habitat priorities include imperiled or under-represented habitats such as trap rock ridges, wetlands, riparian areas, early successional habitats such as old fields and grasslands, threatened and endangered species habitat, and aquatic ecosystems.

A Wildlife Habitat Development Plan will be developed for each successful applicant. The plan describes the landowner’s goal for improving wildlife habitat, includes a list of practices, a schedule for installing them, and details the steps necessary to maintain the habitat for the life of the agreement. The plan may or may not be part of a larger conservation plan that addresses other resource needs, such as water quality and soil erosion.

Applications will be ranked, so that the most valuable wildlife projects are funded. This is not a backyard wildlife enhancement program.

To participate in the program, a person must either own the land on which WHIP will be implemented or have control and possession of the land for the duration of the contract. The land cannot be owned by a federal agency, or have on-site or off-site conditions that would undermine the successful reestablishment of habitat development practices.

To apply or for more information contact NRCS District Conservationist Kathleen Johnson at 860-626-8258.