News Release - 07/19/07

States Receive Grants to Work with Landowners
to Conserve At-risk Species

2007 may be the end of the Landowner Incentive Program, as no further funding is requested

WASHINGTON (July 19, 2007) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced nearly $13 million in competitive funding for 17 state fish and wildlife agencies under the Landowner Incentive Program. The program, which supports cooperative efforts with private landowners interested in conserving natural habitat for species at risk, may be in its last year. Thus far, the President, the House and Senate have requested that no funding be spent on this program in 2008.

“We are disappointed that no further funding will be available for such a ground-breaking effort to inspire landowners to become better stewards of their lands,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “We are hopeful that one or more leaders on Capitol Hill will stand up for this program and restore funding.”

The following projects will be funded this year:

The Alabama Department of Conservation, will receive $849,510 to expand the landowner incentive program to address statewide issues. The program will focus on Longleaf Pine ecosystem restoration and stream restoration in the Cahaba, Choctawhatchee and Coosa river basins. 

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will receive $849,510 to fund conservation projects that will benefit 108 at-risk riparian and native grassland species including the federally listed Chiricahua leopard frog and Gila chub and the Ferruginous hawk. 

The California Department of Fish and Game will receive $849,510 to provide funding to private landowners to restore and manage riparian habitat along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers for a period of up to ten years. 

The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife will receive $527,608 to work with private landowners to protect, restore and enhance five of the key wildlife habitats identified in the state’s Wildlife Action Plan. More than 40 of the 179 species of greatest conservation need identified in the plan will benefit as a result of these activities on private lands.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will receive $849,510 that will be used to restore, or enhance approximately 1,800 acres of upland habitat, 300 acres of wetlands and 4 miles of streams. Funding will also be used to obtain conservation easements on 115 acres of Palouse Prairie remnants to benefit targeted at-risk species.  Idaho will focus their on-the-ground work in the Upper Henry’s Fork watershed, Bear River Basin, and Palouse Prairie Conservation Priority Areas.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will receive $765,760 to provide financial support to restore or enhance approximately 1,700 acres in the Alton Bluffs and Lower Sangamon River Watershed. 

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Natural Areas Program will receive $527,607 to help implement many of the habitat conservation strategies for species of greatest conservation need identified in Maine’s Wildlife Action Plan.  This additional funding will be used to permanently protect, manage and monitor more than 300 acres of habitat for at-risk plant and animal species within 22 Focus Areas in southern and coastal Maine through the purchase of permanent conservation easements.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife will receive $849,510 to continue to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners through their Landowner Incentive Program.  The State will use this new funding exclusively to create, manage and restore habitat for species identified as at-risk in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will receive $765,760 to provide financial support to private landowners to restore or enhance 2,800 acres of habitat for targeted at-risk species.  Michigan will focus on three program areas: southern prairies, savannas and wetlands, jack pine highlands, and Lake Superior forest. 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will receive $328,240 to provide financial support to implement selected projects to restore or enhance approximately 900 acres of habitat for targeted at-risk species and provide stewardship/management plans and technical assistance to approximately 35 landowners. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation will receive $721,920 to provide financial support to implement selected projects that will restore 2,050 acres in six Grassland Conservation Opportunity Areas and purchase conservation easements on 35 acres in selected Bios peak areas. 

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will receive $765,000 to continue its Natural Legacy Plan. Nebraska and its partners will enhance 2,420 acres of at-risk species habitat through invasive tree clearing, 11,300 acres through prescribed burning, 12,600 acres through planned grazing, 1,000 acres through ecologically sensitive weed control and 100 acres through wetland restoration.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife will receive $849,510 to provide technical support and funding to private landowners to enhance and restore riparian and aquatic and sage grouse upland habitats.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will receive $849,510 to provide financial and technical assistance to private landowners to restore, manage and enhance habitat to protect both federal and state listed endangered and threatened species as well as state species of concern. New Jersey expects to manage an additional 1,000 acres of grassland habitat, restore two new bog turtle populations, manage maternity roost trees for Indiana bats, continue funding the small grants program and work with several private landowners in Cape May peninsula to restore and enhance important wildlife habitat.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will receive $849,510 to provide financial support and technical assistance to restore or enhance approximately 840 acres of sagebrush, wetland, and riparian habitat, and nine miles of stream habitat to benefit the greater sage-grouse and Coho salmon, as well as other at-risk species.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will receive $849,510 to continue a large-scale landowner incentive program in nine ecologically distinct provinces. On average, each landowner project impacts at least seven at risk species and at least four federally designated species.  Many projects address degraded water quality in streams with high biological diversity.  The agency expects to add at least 60 participating landowners.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will receive $849,510 to provide financial support and technical assistance to protect, restore, or enhance approximately 3,500 feet of river and 130 acres of floodplain habitat, provide salmon access to 100 acres of river habitat, and obtain conservation easements on 2,170 acres to protect critical floodplain, estuary, and shrub-steppe habitat to benefit the greater sage-grouse and salmon species, as well as other at-risk species. For this fiscal year, Washington will focus their on-the-ground work in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion and in Hood Canal.

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.

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The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies —the organization that represents all of North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a unified voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org .