Continuous sign-up available for Wildlife Habitat Program

PIKE COUNTY, PA — The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a continuous sign-up for the fiscal year 2009 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). The WHIP program provides both technical and financial assistance to individuals interested in establishing and improving wildlife habitat on private agricultural lands and non-industrial forestland. The financial assistance can include incentive payments for management activities and cost-share for the installation of certain conservation practices.

Practices that can be funded through WHIP include native grass sand meadow plantings, tree and shrub plantings, successional habitat management and stream and stream corridor improvement practices such as stream fencing, fish habitat structures and riparian forest buffers.

There is no due date to apply, but people are encouraged to apply early to increase the likelihood of being offered a contract. The application and information about WHIP for fiscal year 2009 are also available on the Pennsylvania NRCS Web site at pa.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.

For more information call 570/282-8732, ext. 3.