The Landowner Incentive Program is a
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
program that gives grants to state wildlife agencies for restoring rare wildlife habitat in cooperation with private landowners. The program received its first $40 million in appropriations from the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
in 2002. Almost every state now has a funded program and $116 million has been appropriated since 2002. A subprogram has also been established for
Native American tribes to restore wildlife habitat on tribal lands.
The program is part of the
Bush Administration's "
Cooperative Conservation" initiative, which focuses on voluntary partnerships between government and non-government parties like private landowners, cooperations, state government and others to achieve progress in conserving or restoring natural resources.
Program mechanics
States compete for two sets of Landowner Incentive Program dollars. Tier I grants provide funding to states to staff and operate programs to work with landowners. Typically, these grants pay for a state program coordinator who works for the wildlife agency and field biologists who interact with landowners and help plan projects. Tier II grants provide funding to states which the state in turn awards to private landowners for the protection, restoration, or management of rare wildlife habitats. States are required to have an open, transparent process through which landowners can apply for funding and to establish an advisory panel that helps to oversee the program. Most states have advisory programs that include representation from government agencies, farmers and ranchers, environmentalists, and academia.
History
The Landowner Incentive Program began as a
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
state program funded by the Administration of then-Governor
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...
. In 2002, the program received $40 million from the U.S. Congress, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was unable to set up and award funding before Congress rescinded the funding from 2002 and provided $40 million in 200
Since 2003, state wildlife agencies have steadily accumulated more and more successes in delivering results for rare wildlife with the conservation partnerships with private landowners.
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
and
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
have been particularly successful, winning more than $22 million in grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and working with hundreds of landowners to restore wildlife.
External links
Cooperative Conservation Initiativeh2>
By state
ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoFloridaHawaiiIllinoisKansasMaineMarylandNebraskaTexas
United States Department of the Interior
Nature conservation in the United States