News

Find a Service Center

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Overview

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on their lands. Through WHIP, both technical and financial assistance are available from NRCS to help establish and improve wildlife habitat.

In 2004, West Virginia targeted four major habitat types for technical and financial assistance. These habitat types include the development of riparian areas for improved water quality and wildlife habitat; farm wildlife for small game habitat such as cottontail rabbits and native grasslands for songbirds; protection of rare threatened and endangered species such as the federally endangered clubshell mussel; and woodland wildlife species habitat improvements for ruffed grouse and wild turkey.

Conservation practices eligible for WHIP funding include the restoration of grassland habitat in field borders and entire fields; the restoration of riparian areas with trees, shrubs or herbaceous plants; and improvement of woodlands. The use of warm season grasses and native plants are encouraged, as they are more likely to create a higher quality habitat while protecting soil from erosion and improving water quality.

Conservation practices eligible for WHIP funding include the restoration of grassland habitat in field borders and entire fields; the restoration of riparian areas with trees, schrubs or herbaceous plants; and improvement of woodlands. The use of warm season grasses and native plants are encouraged, as they are more likely to create a higher quality habitat while protecting soil from erosion and improving water quality.

Applications are evaluated and ranked using statewide criteria. Successful applicants who own or control land agree to prepare and implement a wildlife habitat development plan. This plan describes the landowner’s objectives for improving wildlife habitat, a list of practices tailored for the applicant’s property that will be installed, detail needed to install them and a schedule for implementation.

WHIP Applications
/Contracts per FY

There is no minimum acreage to enroll. The cost-share rate for implementing practices is 75 percent of the total cost of establishment for most practices.

Since the year 2000, the West Virginia WHIP has worked closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This partnership enables work crews to build high quality fencing along streams and other sensitive areas, primarily for the establishment of corridors to provide riparian wildlife habitat and improved water quality. Combining these programs enables landowners to have fence installed at minimal or no cost to the landowner. To date NRCS and USFWS have constructed over 50 miles of fence and protected over 7,600 acres of riparian corridors.

2004 Accomplishments

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program received 120 applications for improvements to 14,537 acres of wildlife habitat, requesting an estimated $675,000. Wildlife habitat management plans and contracts were completed on 7,824 acres for 72 landowners, obligating $420,772 for cost-share payments to West Virginia landowners. Over 4,380 acres of farmland will be improved for northern bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbit and grassland nesting birds. This year alone, NRCS and the USFWS have planned 316 acres of riparian buffers that provide wildlife habitat and reduce pollution. Ruffed grouse, turkey, squirrel and other desirable wildlife will benefit from habitat improvements on 3,128 acres of woodland throughout West Virginia.

WV Acres of Habitat Improved by Habitat Type

In 2003, NRCS has entered into cooperative agreement with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources to provide technical assistance to landowners to develop individual wildlife management plans through WHIP. As a result of this agreement, DNR worked with 44 landowners and created 32 habitat improvement designs on 3,306 acres which will provide wildlife habitat improvements worth $158.590. This agreement has been renewed for 2005.


Wildlife habitat incentives program (WHIP) contract acreage per fiscal year.	Contracts by Habitat Type by FY

Program	Financial Assistance	Contracts	Acres
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP	$309,151	72	7,824

< Back to 2004 Annual Report