Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program 1998 Accomplishments

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) authorizing language is found in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Section 387. WHIP is a voluntary program established to improve wildlife habitat in our Nation. Program administration of WHIP is provided under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This document provides program data resulting from the 1998 sign-up.

Thirty million dollars was distributed to states for financial and technical assistance. A total of 4,600 long-term agreements were signed enrolling 672,000 acres in the program nationally. On average, NRCS agreed to reimburse participants $4,600 for each cost-share agreement. The average agreement encompassed 146 acres.

Wildlife Priorities

Wildlife priorities were established on a State-by-State basis. States generally selected 2 to 6 priorities consistently including one or more upland and riparian habitats. Wetlands, aquatic in-stream habitat and other unique wildlife habitat such as caves and salt marshes were also identified as priorities in a number of States. Nationally, acres were distributed among 4 major habitat types as follows:

Upland Wildlife Habitat

Of the total 672,000 WHIP acres enrolled, 82 percent, or 524,986 acres encompassed upland wildlife habitat including grasslands, shrub/scrub and forests. Several types of early successional grasslands, such as tall grass prairies, have declined more than 98 percent according a 1995 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report. One of the primary focuses of WHIP nationally, is restoration of some of these now scarce areas. Wildlife dependent on native grasslands includes neo-tropical migratory birds, waterfowl, amphibians, reptiles and many mammals. Specific species that will benefit from re-establishment of grasslands in one or more states include: grasshopper sparrow, bobwhite quail, swift fox, short-eared owl, Karner-blue butterfly, gopher tortoise, western-harvest mouse, and Gunnison-sage grouse.

Other upland priorities include the establishment of windbreaks and edge around cropland, forests including pine barrens and long leaf pine, wildlife corridors, and shrub scrub steppe habitats. Wildlife species that will benefit from development of these habitats include: Louisiana black bear, Eastern collared lizard, Bachman’s sparrow, ovenbird, acorn woodpecker, and western grey-squirrel.

Practices installed on upland habitat include: various types of seeding and plantings, fencing, livestock management, prescribed burning, shrub thickets with shelterbelts. Additional practices were installed for the benefit of forest land management including creation of forest openings, various types of disking or mowing including meander disking through woodlands, woody cover control, brush management, upland wildlife management, aspen stand regeneration, and exclusion of feral animals.

Wetland Wildlife Habitat

Wetland wildlife will benefit from 14 percent of WHIP lands where wetland habitat will be enhanced or created. WHIP wetland acres include acreage that is not eligible for the NRCS Wetland Reserve Program cost-share agreements such as winter flooding of crop fields for waterfowl. Other wetland types that will be enhanced include tidal flushing areas, salt marshes, wetland hardwood hammocks, mangrove forests, and wild rice beds. Created wetlands include freshwater marshes and vernal pools in abandoned gravel mines.

Practices to enhance or create wetland wildlife habitat include: installation of culverts or water control structures, invasive plant control, fencing, creation of greentree reservoirs, moist soil unit management, and creation of shallow water areas. Among the wildlife species that will benefit from creation or enhancement of wetland habitat are: black crowned night heron, snowy egret, canvasback duck, ibis, piping plover, short-nosed sturgeon, osprey, California-clapper rail, fairy shrimp, and Santa Cruz long-toed salamander.

Riparian and Instream Aquatic Wildlife Habitat

Riparian and in-stream aquatic wildlife habitats make up 3 and 1 percent, respectively, of all WHIP acreage. This category includes riparian areas along streams, river, lakes, sloughs and coastal areas, as well as the streams, lakes and rivers themselves. Species that will benefit from the wildlife practices installed in riparian or aquatic areas include: Columbia sharp-tail grouse, Le/Conte’s sparrow, bull trout, grayling, westslope cutthroat trout, Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, southwest willow flycatcher, woodcock, Hellbender, river otter, brook trout, short-nose sturgeon, puritan tiger beetle, Higgin’s eye pearly mussel, Pallid shiner, ornate box turtle, alligator snapping turtle, lest tern, leopard darter, Arkansas darter, Ouachita Rock-pocketbook mussel, Bonneville cutthroat trout, Oregon chub, painted turtle, belted kingfisher, yellow-billed cuckoo, California freshwater shrimp, valley-elderberry longhorn beetle, American shad, and Pacific giant salamander.

Practices to improve aquatic and riparian wildlife habitat include: tree plantings, fencing with livestock management and off-stream watering, in-stream structures, seeding, streambank protection and stabilization, stream deflectors, creation of small pools, installation of buffers, removal of dams, fencing, creation of fish passages past structures, alternative watering facilities, and establishment of instream structures such as logs or rocks.

Threatened and Endangered Species

Of the total acreage enrolled in WHIP, approximately 20 percent of the acreage enrolled in WHIP will benefit threatened and endangered species. Threatened and endangered species targeted through WHIP include, but are not limited to the following: American-burying beetle, Neosho madtom, Topeka shiner, gray bat, kit fox, bog turtle, gopher tortoise, dusky-gopher frog, Eastern-indigo snake, southern-hognose snake, black-pine snake, Louisiana-black bear, red-cockaded woodpeckers, Mississippi-sandhill crane, Florida panther, wood storks, snail kites, Florida sandhill crane, caracara, grasshopper sparrow, Snake River-Chinook salmon, Umpua River-cutthroat trout, coho salmon, steelhead, bulltrout, Lahontan-cutthroat trout, Yuma-clapper rails, Sonoran pronghorn, Mexican voles, and lesser long-nosed bats.

Partnerships

NRCS, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, State and local partners, and the private sector, functions as part of a diverse, united coalition to address local and national conservation issues affecting our nation. NRCS works at the local level and through the State Technical Committee to establish wildlife priorities. This process allows for local input as well as the coordination of wildlife priorities with other wildlife interest in the state encouraging the leveraging of other state, federal and private dollars to address state and local wildlife priorities. Partners provide technical expertise identifying wildlife concerns, assisting in the development of wildlife habitat development plans and monitoring progress. In addition, partners provide financial assistance through additional cost-share dollars, purchase of seed, by supplying equipment, or installing practices for the participant. The emphasis placed on partners in WHIP has improved communication and coordination among various interests addressing wildlife concerns. They are an essential part of the success of the program.

Partnership Examples

Mississippi is one of several states that used WHIP funds to establish educational areas. Mississippi NRCS partnered with 21 middle and high schools as well as two universities to establish wildlife habitat. WHIP practices were established for outdoor classrooms where students can learn about ecology and wildlife.

In Wyoming, 25 percent of the funds in the State were targeted to an area comprising half of one county. Thirty landowners entered into WHIP agreements in land surrounding two state wildlife management areas. The State’s wildlife areas are rich in water and wetlands, but lacked upland bird habitat and nesting cover limiting overall wildlife benefits. The land enrolled in WHIP provides the missing habitat for pin tails, mallards, pheasant and sharptails as well as neotropical migratory birds. In addition, the participants can lease their land during hunting season gaining additional income.

Maine NRCS, in cooperation with a number of partners, removed a dam on the Soudabscook River in 1998 providing Atlantic salmon, river herring, sea run trout, and alewives access to a 160 square mile watershed. The positive publicity immediately following removal of the dam yielded over $50,000 in unsolicited private donations with more promised when another project is ready to be implemented. Removal of the dam reduced flooding to homes on the river, and is already attracting sport fishermen to the area. This dam removal project is important in a state where tourism is a major source of income.

Arizona NRCS had WHIP contracts with four Indian Tribes in 1998 and has set aside funding to enable all tribes in the state to participate in the program, if interested, in FY 1999. Existing WHIP contracts with tribes will provide restoration of water resources and prescribed burning to manage for big horn sheep as well as riparian restoration that will benefit threatened and endangered species.

Programs