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Wildlife Incentive Program (Fiscal Year 2007)
Caribbean Area Sign-Up and Application Information

Updated 10/29/2007

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, WHIP

2007 Signup Period

NRCS offices in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will be accepting applications for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) from November 2, 2006 through January 31, 2007.  People with interest in this program should contact their local NRCS office.

What is the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program?

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop or improve wildlife habitat on private lands. It provides both technical assistance and cost sharing to help establish and improve wildlife habitat.

How WHIP Works

Landowners agree to prepare and implement a wildlife habitat development plan. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to implement the wildlife habitat practices.

The Plan

Participants work with NRCS to prepare a wildlife habitat development plan.  The plan describes the landowner’s goals for improving wildlife habitat, includes a list of practices and a schedule for installing them, and details the steps necessary to maintain the habitat for the life of the cost-share agreement.

Cost-Share Assistance

NRCS provides the technical assistance with cost-share payments used to establish or improve wildlife habitat.  Cost-sharing will reimburse up to 75% percent of costs.  Federal or state wildlife agencies or private organizations may provide additional funding or expertise to help complete a project. Generally, the total cost-share cannot exceed $10,000 per contract. The cost-share agreement normally lasts a minimum of 5 years from the date the contract is signed.  Under the agreement, the landowner agrees to implement and maintain the cost-shared practices and allow NRCS access to monitor the effectiveness of the practices.

What’s Eligible?

Generally, five acres is the minimum contract size. Lands that are eligible for WHIP are:

  • Privately owned lands, including lands owned by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
  • State or local government owned lands on a limited basis
  • Federal lands in those limited circumstances where the benefit is primarily on private lands, but must include some federal land to meet the objectives of the Wildlife Habitat Development Plan (WHDP).

If land is determined eligible, NRCS places emphasis on enrolling:

  • Habitats for wildlife species experiencing declining or significantly reduced populations;
  • Practices beneficial to fish and wildlife that may not otherwise be funded; and
  • Wildlife and fishery habitats identified by local and state partners in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

To participate in WHIP, you must own or have control of the land under consideration.

What land is not eligible?

Lands that are ineligible for WHIP are:

  • Federal lands, except as identified above.
  • Land currently enrolled in the following federal programs:
    • Emergency Watershed Program (EWP) that are subject to floodplain easements
    • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
    • Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
    • Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
  • Lands where the expected impacts from offsite conditions make the success of habitat improvement unlikely, such as a nearby contaminant source that would degrade the area.
  • Applications that are not cost-effective, or do not sufficiently meet program requirements.
Caribbean Area Priorities

WHIP proposals will be evaluated based on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands wildlife habitat priorities.  Requests are scored on a number of factors, including type of habitat to be established, size, proximity to other wildlife areas, location within designated priority area, and cost.  Applications are made, and ranking worksheets are completed, at the field office level to prioritize applications.

Expected Results

In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, WHIP is emphasizing re-establishment of declining species and habitats included in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, including but not limited the species listed as endangered or threatened, endemic or native species.

Example Conservation Opportunities
  • Brush management and control of invasive species.
  • Provide trails or use exclusion in buffer zones or important ecosystems.
  • Conserve or improve nesting and feeding habitats for endemic or native species.
For More Information

For more information about WHIP, contact your local NRCS office for program information and announcements.

Contact:

Marisol Morales, Biologist
Telephone: 787-766-5206, x. 233

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