USDA TO PROVIDE $24 MILLION TO IMPROVE FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ON PRIVATE LANDS Release No. 0097 Roger Salazar (202) 720-4623 roger.salazar@usda.gov Diana Morse (202 720-4772 diana.morse@usda.gov USDA TO PROVIDE $24 MILLION TO IMPROVE FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ON PRIVATE LANDS WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 1998--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) will provide $24 million during FY 1998 to help land owners improve fish and wildlife habitat on their private lands. "WHIP continues the tradition of our conservation programs." Glickman said. "It is a voluntary incentive based approach which operates from a fundamental belief that given the proper technical and financial resources, farmers want to do right by the land." "President Clinton and I believe that preserving our natural resources is a high priority," Vice President Gore said. "WHIP is the first program targeted exclusively atimproving wildlife habitat on America's private lands. It will help farmers and landowners put the health of America's land, water and wildlife first." WHIP is administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It is designed to be flexible enough to improve habitat for all types of fish and wildlife. Priorities are developed through a locally led process in each state to identify the type of habitat or species that local people wish to target for improvement. "WHIP is an exciting addition to the array of NRCS programs that helps farmers and ranchers manage their lands with both production and conservation in mind," Undersecretary Jim Lyons, who oversees the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said. "WHIP can help them do good things for wildlife habitat and all of us who enjoy fishing, hunting, and the great outdoors will realize the benefits." Glickman also thanked U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) for supporting the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. NRCS provides technical assistance, including helping participants prepare a wildlife habitat development plan, and financial assistance--up to 75 percent of the cost of implementing practices, such as planting native vegetation, streambank restoration, and aquatic habitat restoration. Potential participants should contact their local USDA Service Center for further information. Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program USDA Funding Breakdown by State/Area USDA funding for WHIP during FY 1998, including both technical and financial assistance, is as follows: State/Area Amount Alabama $ 204,960 Alaska 60,000 Arizona 132,000 Arkansas 1,220,244 California 732,000 Colorado 1,728,000 Connecticut 180,000 Connecticut River Watershed 489,600 Delaware 120,000 Florida 844,560 Georgia 620,929 Hawaii 60,000 Idaho 259,200 Illinois 540,000 Indiana 90,000 Iowa 301,392 Kansas 432,000 Kentucky 428,400 Louisiana 356,359 Maine 422,730 Maryland 180,000 Massachusetts 180,000 Michigan 636,480 Minnesota 648,000 Mississippi 1,310,400 Missouri 812,160 Montana 345,600 Nebraska 691,200 Nevada 180,000 New Hampshire 180,000 New Jersey 156,000 New Mexico 531,432 New York 612,000 North Carolina 552,960 North Dakota 325,584 Ohio 180,000 Oklahoma 1,036,800 Oregon 312,480 Pacific Basin 15,000 Pennsylvania 549,000 Puerto Rico 18,000 Rhode Island 207,170 South Carolina 713,700 South Dakota 918,000 Tennessee 366,000 Texas 439,200 Utah 180,000 Vermont 180,000 Virginia 475,800 Washington 725,760 West Virginia 453,600 Wisconsin 306,000 Wyoming 324,000 Total $23,964,700 #