Spring/Summer 2002

Membership Dollars at Work: Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program: Policy That Works

The past year has been very busy in stoneville, Mississippi. The Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation has been working on the Conservation Title of the 2002 Farm Bill. Although countless hours were spent on the Farm Bill, none of it would have been possible without the tireless efforts and persistence of u: s. Senator Thad Cochran and his staff And all those efforts paid off The result is the funding of the largest conservation bill in the history of the United States.

The Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Senator Thad Cochran are delighted with the outcome of the bill. "The agreement that farm bill negotiators have reached will provide an 80 percent increase in funding for conservation programs. Most importantly, that funding will provide farmers and private landowners with numerous options when it comes to conservation," stated Cochran.

The conservation provisions of the Farm Bill will benefit Mississippians in a wide variety of ways. Mississippi is one of the largest participants in the Forestry Incentives Program (FIP). The bill reauthorizes the Conservation Reserve Program, which will allow for new sign-ups and places an increased emphasis on wildlife management. It also reauthorizes the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and increases it's authorized acreage from approximately 150,000 acres per year to 250,000 acres per year. Mississippi ranks #2 in the nation in funding for WRP.

"The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), which was authorized in the 1996 Farm Bill at my request, is funded at $700 million. This level of commitment proves that the program is successful and will continue to provide Mississippi landowners with meaningful incentives to enhance wildlife habitats," continued Cochran. WHIP will continue to cost-share with landowners to provide cover for wildlife as well as nesting and brood habitat for species like turkey and quail. Nationally, it has already improved over 1.6 million acres of wildlife habitat.

According to Cochran, one of the goals of the Conservation Title Farm Bill was to achieve the greatest amount of conservation with the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

"Not all conservation gains are confined to expensive crop retirement programs. Better and more thoughtful agricultural practices Bobwhite are improving Michaelli conservation too. Cost-share programs are a good example of the bill's effort to achieve more habitat for wildlife with less dollars," said Cochran.

WHIP presents a unique opportunity to continue to build a new partnership among wildlife, agriculture and silviculture that promotes innovation and flexibility on working farm, and forest lands. Its goal is to enhance and restore upland and wetland wildlife, threatened and endangered species, fisheries and other types of wildlife habitat. This program will continue to place an emphasis on filling gaps among other conservation programs, especially those that other programs cannot fill. The program will also be focused on wildlife habitat enhancement and restoration efforts that have the greatest opportunity for wildlife utilization/population expansion.

In Mississippi, from 1997 to 2001, 834 contracts were implemented between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and private landowners that placed $2,437,659 on the ground. The predominant practices included 54,000 acres of prescribed burning, 18,795 acres of wetland wildlife habitat management, 62,035 acres of upland wildlife habitat management and over 27,500 acres of threatened and endangered species habitat.

"This program is different than most programs because it indicates an underlying shift from only providing incentives for land retirement to placing an emphasis on land management practices that are compatible with farming and forest management activities. It will continue to make cost- share and incentive payments, not rental or easement payments, to non-industrial, private landowners. The program is expected to enhance and restore wildlife habitat on fifteen to twenty million acres of land," stated Leila C. Wynn, President of the Foundation.

Funding for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program will be: fiscal year (Fy) 02 ($15 million); FY 03 ($30 million); FY 04 ($85 million); FY 05 ($85 million); FY 06 ($85 million); FY 07 ($85 million); FY 08 ($85 million); FY 09 ($85 million); FY 10 ($85 million), and; FY 11 ($85 million). To the extent practical, it shall be divided as follows: Upland Management Activities (30%); Wetland Management Activities (30%); Threatened and Endangered Species Management Activities (20%); and, Fisheries Management Activities (20%).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service will determine the appropriate reimbursement rate for cost-share payments and the schedule for making such payments. Cost- share payments to a landowner will not be in excess of75 percent of the cost of implementing eligible activities under the plan. The percentage of cost-share will be based on the value to wildlife and the cost of the activity. An in-kind match will be eligible for the landowner's portion of the cost share. Approval may be granted for cost-share assistance.

The agreement for the program will share the cost of implementing the approved activities with a landowner and will be between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the landowner. Length of agreements may be based on cost- share rates; agreements will be ten years or less.

"WHIP will provide meaningful benefits to wildlife enthusiasts around the nation," according to Cochran. "For example, the winter impoundment of rice fields has created much needed habitat for ducks, geese and other wecland- related wildlife. WHIP will allow these lands to be enhanced for wildlife. It will also aid landowners in developing habitat for deer, turkey, quail, black bear and fish. Ultimately, this effort will result in better opportunities for hunting, fishing and viewing wildlife."

"Wildlife habitat is an important resource for the nation. We must continue to find ways of creating incentives, in a cost- effective manner, for promoting sound agricultural practices that aid in the enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitat," concluded the Mississippi Senator.


Cost -Sharable Activities For The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
The activities include, but are not limited to:

(1) Upland Wildlife Habitat: planting field borders and filter strips to grass/legume mixtures; establishing openings; planting, fertilizing and seed bed preparation for food, cover and nesting; establishing native prairie and grassland; brush management and rangeland seeding; fencing for habitat protection; prescribed burning, strip disking and mowing; flushing bars; restoration of wildlife habitat and corridors; forest stand improvement to include site preparation, tree planting, direct seeding, firebreaks, release and site preparation for natural regeneration.

(2) Wetland Wildlife Habitat: installation of water control structures in agricultural fields, moist soil areas and forested wetlands to provide beneficial habitat for wetland wildlife; payment for the application of water on agricultural fields, moist soil areas and forested wetlands during drought conditions to benefit wetland wildlife; restoration of hydrology; restoration of wildlife habitat and corridors; fencing for habitat protection; forest stand improvement to include site preparation, tree planting, direct seeding, firebreaks, release and site preparation for natural regeneration; strip disking and mowing; establishing openings; planting, fertilizing and seed bed preparation for food, cover and nesting.

(3) Threatened and Endangered Species Habitat: removal of barriers for aquatic species; establishment, management, maintenance, enhancement and restoration of grassed waterways and riparian areas; fencing for habitat protection; stream bank stabilization; installation of in stream deflectors; restoration of threatened and endangered species habitat and corridors; placement of fish screens; control or eradication of invasive exotic or competing animal and plant species; forest stand improvement to include site preparation, tree planting, direct seeding, firebreaks, release and site preparation for natural regeneration.

( 4) Fisheries Habitat: removal of fish barriers; placement of fish screens; establishment, management, maintenance, enhancement and restoration of grassed waterways and riparian areas; stream bank stabilization; installation of low water weirs and in stream deflectors; fencing for habitat protection; development and placement of fish structure and gravel spawning beds; augmentation of flows.

(5) Other activities: approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in consultation with the State Technical Committee. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, in consultation with the State Technical Committee, in developing and prioritizing a list of approved activities, shall attempt to achieve landowner and public purposes. Emphasis shall be placed on low maintenance, self-sustaining activities. Where practical, preferential treatment will be given to native plantings. The activities shall consist of:

1) building structures for fish and wildlife purposes;
2) establishment of habitat by mechanical or other means;
3) maintenance and management practices and;
4) restoration.

Activities shall be included in a plan approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and followed through on installation and approval.