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Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land. Through WHIP, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical and financial assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP contracts can be as long as 10 years from the date the agreement is signed, though work is usually completed within one to three years.

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 reauthorized WHIP as a voluntary approach to improving wildlife habitat in our Nation. Program administration of WHIP is provided under the Natural Resources Conservation Service.


WHIP Priorities
  • Promote the restoration of declining or important native wildlife habitats.
  • Protect, restore, develop or enhance wildlife habitat of at-risk species (candidate species, and State and Federally listed threatened and endangered species).
  • Reduce the impacts of invasive species on wildlife habitats.
  • Protect, restore, develop or enhance declining or important aquatic wildlife species’ habitats.
     
WHIP Application Information

Applications are accepted by NRCS on a continuous basis throughout the year with cutoff dates to evaluate, rank, prioritize and select applicants. People may apply by completing the NRCS-CPA-1200 Application Form and Appendix and submit in person, e-mail (must include signature), fax, or mail to their local USDA Service Centers. Application forms are available at your local USDA Service Centers in Pennsylvania or from the Pennsylvania website. There is no due date to apply but people are encouraged to apply early to increase likelihood of being offered a contract (See Evaluation and Ranking, below). Financial assistance eligibility is contingent on the person not starting the practice before having a signed and approved contract.

Applicants are asked to identify the practice(s) for which they are requesting assistance and the farm(s) on which the proposed practices would be installed.
 

Evaluation and Ranking

WHIP uses an evaluation and ranking process to assess needs and cost effectiveness. Ranking occurs after applications are first put through a screening tool and are determined to have at least minimal environmental benefits and meet program purposes. The review of applications for Fiscal Year 2009 contract requests will begin at the end of August 2008 and will continue monthly as long as funds are available. Because of the large demand for funding assistance, funds are usually expended after one or two ranking cycles.
 

Funding

Contracts will be awarded to producers with the highest rankings until funds are exhausted. For fiscal year 2009, December 31, 2008 is the target date to complete contracting. Applications that cannot be funded can be retained for up to two years, after which time the producer will need to re-file a new application.

People interested in wildlife habitat improvement practices are encouraged to develop a conservation plan that includes a wildlife habitat development and management component.
 

Program Information

These files require Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Document WHIP Application
Adobe Acrobat Document WHIP Application (En Espanol)
Adobe Acrobat Document PA State WHIP Plan
Adobe Acrobat Document Ranking Sheet
Adobe Acrobat Document Application Screening & Evaluation Ranking Summary Sheet
Question and Answer Sheet

2008 Payment Schedule


Program Contacts

Ed Sanders, Incentives Program Manager, 717-237-2201
Barry Frantz, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, 717-237-2216