WASHINGTON, May 16, 2005-Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that $4 million is available in financial assistance for Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) partnership proposals that restore and protect habitat for migratory birds and other wetland dependent wildlife.

"These public-private partnerships are a prime example of cooperative conservation," said Johanns. "These partnership projects can help at-risk species and go a long way toward helping us meet the President's goal to improve, restore and protect three million acres of wetlands."

The Natural Resources Conservation Service issued today a request for proposals (RFP) that is available on the agency's website and the Federal eGrants website at http://www.grants.gov. Applicants will have 45 days to submit proposals. Funds will be awarded through a nationwide competition that also includes the Pacific Basin and Caribbean Area.

Of the $4 million available for WREP, a minimum of $500,000 will be available for partnership proposals that address bog turtle habitat in the east and $500,000 for Ivory-billed woodpecker habitat in Arkansas. These funds are a portion of the $1.5 million in Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) funds and $1 million in Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program funds announced last month as part of USDA's contribution to help save the rare Ivory-billed woodpecker.

The bog turtle is a threatened species, scattered from New York and Massachusetts south to southern Tennessee and Georgia. Population declines are due mainly to loss of habitat, which is wet meadows and other shallow, sunny wetlands, and encroachment of vegetation. WREP projects have the potential to help this species survive. Bog turtle proposals will compete only with other bog turtle proposals.

The recently rediscovered Ivory-billed woodpecker, which was thought to be extinct, is the largest woodpecker in the United States. Found in Arkansas, conservation projects and practices to improve and restore the bird's native habitat are necessary for its survival. Local WREP projects that could potentially benefit the Ivory-billed woodpecker are being requested. These projects will only compete against other projects determined to have potential benefits to the rare bird.

For fiscal year 2005, NRCS will focus on WREP proposals that address wetland creation and enhancement efforts on prior-year enrolled contracts, those where partners will contribute significantly to WRP delivery and technical assistance costs, and easement management projects. NRCS estimates these funds, along with contributions from partners, may result in wetland restoration, creation, enhancement and easement management on approximately 5,000 acres.

WREP is available to individuals, nongovernmental organizations and state, tribal and local governmental agencies. Proposals must include nonfederal funding for at least 50 percent of the project's technical assistance cost. Technical assistance contributions may be in the form of in-kind contributions. NRCS will accept proposals for single or mulit-year projects, not to exceed three years.

The WREP RFP that includes an overview of the program, proposal requirements, evaluation criteria and application information is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp.