On August 4, 2006, a Congressional Update was sent to 202 local Congressional offices in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.  The Update was about grants to work with landowners to conserve at-risk species.

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State Wildlife Agencies Receive Grants to Work With Landowners to Conserve At-risk Species – Congressional Notification

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced nearly $19 million in competitive funding for 37 states and Puerto Rico and Virgin Island fish and wildlife agencies under the Bush Administration's innovative Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). The program supports cooperative efforts with private landowners interested in conserving natural habitat for species at risk, including Federally listed endangered or threatened species and proposed or candidate species.

Seven Midwestern states – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin -- will share more than $2.6 million in LIP grants for conservation programs for at-risk species.

"Conservation, especially conservation of imperiled species, must be a partnership between the American people and their government," said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.  "By providing these grants, we empower citizens to restore habitat on their land and take other steps to protect and recover endangered, threatened and at-risk species."

LIP, funded through competitive grants with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, establishes or supplements existing landowner incentive programs that provide technical or financial assistance to private landowners.  All grants need to be matched by at least 25 percent from a non-Federal source.

States in the Midwest will receive the following funding through the Landowner Incentive Program:

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will receive nearly $946,000 and match nearly $491,000 to continue work in the Lower Sangamon River Watershed and will expand into the Alton Bluffs area near St. Louis.  Proposed projects will include hill prairie restoration, invasive species control, timber stand improvement and restoration of prairies, wetlands, forests and streams. 

The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife will receive $180,000 and match $60,000 to conserve more than 100 species of concern.  In past years, biologists developed best management practices for species as diverse as the blue-spotted salamander, Kirtland’s snake, the northern cave fish, and the spotted darter.  Now this new grant money will be used to recruit landowners interested in implementing these practices on their property.  The agency expects to work with more than 700 landowners through the life of this grant. 

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will receive $180,000 and match $60,000 to implement monitoring protocols developed and approved through the Iowa Wildlife Action Plan.  It is important that monitoring approaches are expanded and refined by gathering baseline data and standardizing protocols.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will receive nearly $946,000 and match $404,038 to provide private landowners with technical support to develop habitat projects on private land in the southern grasslands and wetlands, northern pine barrens and jack pine forests, and northern conifers.  Proposed projects include invasive species removal, prescribed fire, restoring hydrology, and planting native vegetation.

The Minnesota Division of Fish and Wildlife will receive $108,488 and match $36,163 to continue and expand work in the prairie, bluffland and Southeast forest habitat areas.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will receive $180,000 and match $60,000 to expand the private land conservation component of the Department’s endangered species program. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will receive $68,761 and match $22,921 to work with private landowners on habitats in the prairie and savannah habitat areas as well as in the northern Lake Michigan coastal ecological landscape.

Landowners interested in participating in LIP should contact their State fish and wildlife agency.   For more information about the grant programs, please visit http://federalaid.fws.gov/lip/lip.html. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance reference number is 15.633.