WV NRCS Announces WHIP and AMA Ranking

MORGANTOWN, WV, April 1, 2009 —USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces the ranking period ends on April 15, 2009 for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) in West Virginia.

WHIP is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on private land. Through WHIP, NRCS provides both technical and financial assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP has proven to be a highly effective and widely accepted program across the country. By targeting wildlife habitat projects on all lands and aquatic areas, WHIP provides assistance to conservation-minded landowners.

AMA provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. Producers may construct or improve water management or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest management, or transition to organic farming.

Applications for WHIP and AMA are accepted throughout the year. Cut-off dates are scheduled to allow for ranking, prioritization and selection of applications for funding. The date for cutoff of the current ranking period is April 15, 2009. Applications may be obtained and filed at any time with your local USDA Service Center.

Additional program information can be obtained at the USDA-NRCS Web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/index.html.

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