Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program 2007

Program helps quail, other declining species

Landowners with the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) created, restored, maintained and managed good habitats for wildlife. Emphasis was on declining species: bobwhite quail, elk, neo-tropical migratory songbirds, and threatened or endangered species.

WHIP was the major funding source for three quail focus areas in 2007. Over the past 20 years, northern bobwhite population numbers declined by more than 65 percent. The population decline has been attributed to many factors, but the primary cause is the cumulative effect of deteriorating habitat. To prosper, bobwhites need large expanses of clumped native warm season grasses mixed with annual legumes, briars and woody thicket.

The first focal area was the Damascus project. Covering an estimated 9,700 acres in Conway, Faulkner and Van Buren counties, the Damascus project provided technical and financial support to landowners for bobwhite quail habitat. The project was established by a unique public-private partnership between: NRCS, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Southwestern Energy Company and Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts. Southwestern Energy provided critical funding to make the project possible. In addition, Southwestern Energy’s expanding natural gas pipeline system was essential to the success of the project. NRCS assumed 50 percent of the cost with Southwestern Energy and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission each paid 25 percent of the remaining cost. The project gave Arkansas an additional $150,000 to study the response of northern bobwhite quail populations to large-scale habitat restoration.

NRCS district conservationist Kelly Shrable of Fulton County was the driving force behind the Fulton County project and NRCS district conservationist Sid Lawrence of Searcy County was instrumental in planning and implementing the Searcy County project. Both projects consisted of wildlife habitat improvements including agricultural filter strips, hedgerow plantings, field borders, native grasses, forest stand improvements, forest openings, riparian forest buffers, and prescribed burning. NRCS provided 75 percent of the cost and Arkansas Game and Fish provided the other 25 percent. Landowners and wildlife were well served through the federal and state partnership. Thanks to key partnerships, WHIP funded 35 applications with more than $450,000 in 2007.

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

NRCS provides technical assistance and up to 75 percent cost-share assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP agreements between NRCS and the participant generally last from 5 to 10 years from the date the agreement is signed.

Arkansas WHIP Quick Facts for 2007

Last Modified: 12/11/2007

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