Wildlife habitat grants for landowners

(Original post from the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition) The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) invites farmers, woodlot owners, and other private landowners who want to actively manage their property to benefit wildlife to apply for a Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) grant. LIP is designed to reimburse private landowners up to 75% of the total project cost of managing lands to improve habitat for declining types of wildlife in the Commonwealth. The application deadline is October 12, 2012. Eligible applicants must successfully complete their proposed project by June 30, 2013. State and municipal agencies are not eligible for this funding. LIP information and application documents are posted at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/grants/lip/lip_home.htm.

Since 2005, MassWildlife's Landowner Incentive Program has funded 157 wildlife habitat projects and provided technical assistance to private landowners from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. Past projects have benefited a wide array of species-at-risk across the Commonwealth including but not limited to, enhancement of beach habitat for shorebird breeding, creation of grassland-bird breeding habitat, and habitat maintenance for rare turtles. Through the LIP, MassWildlife has contributed close to $3.5 million for the conservation of declining species on private land over the LIP's six-year history.