Dollars Available for Restoring or Enhancing Prairie Chicken Habitat

"Landowners interested in restoring and protecting essential plant and animal habitat for the lesser or greater prairie chicken should act now and apply for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)—Essential Habitat Areas (EHA)," said Troy Munsch, soil conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Salina.

"Applications for WHIP-EHA are accepted on a continuous basis. However, the ranking cutoff date for applying is April 9, 2004. The WHIP-EHA applications submitted will be evaluated for Fiscal Year 2004 funding," explained Munsch.

Brush management will be the only cost-shared conservation practice available through the WHIP-EHA and will be cost-shared at 100 percent. Contracts will have a duration of 15 years.

The Kansas NRCS, with advice from the Kansas Technical Committee, decided to use 15 percent of the state’s annual WHIP funding allocation to increase the cost-share assistance in the EHA for the lesser and greater prairie chicken habitat.

The following counties have land that qualifies for WHIP-EHA: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jewell, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.

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Map - WHIP - Essential Habitat Areas (PDF; 71 KB)

Offers of land within the EHA or contiguous to land within the EHA will be considered eligible applications.

The WHIP is a voluntary program for landowners who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land.

For more information about the WHIP-EHA, visit your local NRCS or local county conservation district office.