There is now a brand new conservation program that will provide financial incentives for private landowners who would like to improve the wildlife habitat on their property, focusing on supporting habitat for grassland birds, pollinators, and other native wildlife. The Wildlife Habitat Initiative (WHI) is being led by the National Bobwhite and Grassland Initiative (NBGI), along with the support of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the ODNR Division of Wildlife (DOW).
The WHI brochure (below) provides a brief description of the program and a listing of the conservation practices that are being made available to the landowner. Here are some of the important highlights of the WHI that a landowner would need to be aware of in order to consider moving forward:
- The minimum amount of acreage for a project is 5 acres! It would not necessarily need to be contiguous acres, however the accumulative acres on that property or farm tract would need to total a minimum of 5 acres.
- Each application will be scored/ranked based on various habitat-related factors and location. There is a maximum of 60 points, with a score of 30 points or more guaranteeing acceptance into the program.
- If Forest Stand Improvement is one of the conservation practices selected, a minimum of 75% “open canopy” is a requirement!
- Incentive payments (95% of the pre-established scenario rate) are paid to the landowner for completing a conservation practice(s).
- Contracts with landowners will be executed by the NBGI and will be 2-5 years in length.
Landowners enrolling into the Wildlife Habitat Initiative will be provided with technical assistance/resources, along with a conservation plan they would need to follow. For more information about this innovative program or to start the application process, contact the Erie SWCD Wildlife Specialist or Matt Connor, the ODNR Wildlife Management Consultant for our area, (419) 607-7446 or Matt.Conner@dnr.ohio.gov.