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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Local NRCS Office
NRCS Announces Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Funding for targeted habitat types in Western Washington
SPOKANE, WA (MAY 23, 2013) - USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today a funding opportunity for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) that will assist with restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat on working lands. Up to $320,000 is available for obligation into individual landowner contracts.
NRCS is accepting applications until June 24, 2013.
Applicants must meet all WHIP land and landowner eligibility requirements. Eligible working lands include agricultural land (cropland and pastureland) and non-industrial private forestland. Both private and tribally owned working lands are eligible. The WHIP application process is similar to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). For a complete description of eligibility and overview of the application process, refer to the Washington NRCS website at http://www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/.
Projects can be located in any county within western Washington, but targeted habitat types and their locations vary. At-risk species, including all terrestrial wildlife listed as threatened or endangered, are the primary targets of this funding cycle. Specific species and their associated habitat types include:
|
Priority Species |
Target Habitat Type |
NRCS Team |
|
Columbian White tailed deer |
Forested Riparian & Wetlands |
Southwest |
|
Marbled Murrelet, Spotted Owl |
Old Growth Forest |
Southwest |
|
Roosevelt Elk |
Grassland, Riparian, Coastal Wet Prairie |
Southwest |
|
Native Pollinators and Beneficial Insects |
Hedgerows |
Southwest |
|
Mazama pocket gopher & Streaked Horned Lark |
Prairie/Native Grassland |
Puget Sound |
|
Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly |
Prairie/Native Grassland |
Puget Sound & Northwest |
|
Western Bluebird |
Oak Woodland |
Puget Sound & Northwest |
|
Migratory Shorebirds |
Seasonal Mudflat/Emergent Wetland |
Northwest |
The NRCS Southwest Team includes the following counties: Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Pacific, and Grays Harbor.
The NRCS Puget Sound Team includes the following counties: Mason, Thurston, Pierce, Kitsap, and King.
The NRCS Northwest Team includes the following Counties: Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan, Island, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom.
For more information on this and other conservation opportunities, producers are urged to contact their USDA-NRCS Service Center Office. Landowners new to USDA programs are encouraged to contact their local NRCS and FSA field office as soon as possible to ensure they have the time needed to make informed decisions and complete the application process.
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