Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Ohio WHIP Sign-up Deadline February 16, 2010 - All applications received by February 16, 2010, will be ranked for 2010 funding.

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop or improve wildlife habitat on private lands. It provides both technical assistance and cost sharing to help establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat.

How WHIP Works

Landowners agree to prepare and implement a wildlife habitat development plan which focuses on conservation practices that directly benefit wildlife on any habitat.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to implement the wildlife habitat restoration practices.

Each state develops a program implementation plan including state objectives, wildlife priorities, partnership involvement, an explanation of the ranking process and criteria, and a process for measuring success of the program.  In general, the priorities for WHIP in Ohio are those habitats which are most important for species that have had significant declines or are of state or national importance.

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Cost-Share Assistance

NRCS provides the technical assistance with cost-share payments used to establish, maintain, or replace wildlife habitat practices. Cost-sharing will reimburse up to 75 percent of costs. Federal or State wildlife agencies or private organizations may provide additional funding or expertise to help complete a project. Generally the total cost share cannot exceed $15,000 per contract. The cost-share agreement normally lasts from 5 - 10 years from the date the contract is signed. Under the agreement, the landowner agrees to maintain the cost-shared practices and allow NRCS access to monitor the effectiveness of the practices. 

List of Eligible Practices

Payment Schedule

The following document requires Microsoft Excel.

Regular WHIP Payment Schedule -  (Excel,  40 Kb)
Historically Underserved WHIP Payment Schedule - (Excel,  40 Kb)

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What Land is Eligible?

Land eligible for WHIP includes:

• Private agricultural land,
• Non-industrial private forest land, and
• Tribal land.

Generally, five acres is the minimum contract size. However, exceptional sites less than five acres may be enrolled. 

What Land is Not Eligible?

Land ineligible for WHIP includes:

• Land currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, or other similar program
• Land used for mitigation
• Land where onsite or offsite conditions would undermine or reduce the benefits of habitat development, as determined by USDA
• Non-agricultural lands
• Federal, State, county, or local government owned lands

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Wild Turkey Habitat Special Project

The Turkey Habitat Improvement Project is a joint effort between the NRCS and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) conserve, maintain, and improve turkey and other wildlife habitat in a 16-county area of southeast Ohio.  The project focus will be to eliminate troublesome invasive species on land near and adjacent to the Wayne National Forest and designated State wildlife areas.   For landowners interested in this project, contact the NRCS office in your county. 

Available in Adobe Acrobat format.

Map of Turkey Habitat Area (PDF: 103 Kb)

Ohio Priorities

WHIP applications will be evaluated based on Ohio wildlife habitat priorities. Requests are scored on a number of factors, including type of habitat to be established, size, proximity to other wildlife areas, location within designated priority area, and cost.

Ohio WHIP Designated Priority Counties for Fiscal Year 2010 -

The following document requires Acrobat Reader

Map of Priority Counties - Fiscal Year 2010 (PDF; 495 KB)

In Ohio, WHIP is emphasizing re-establishment of habitat for declining species - wetland and grassland dependent birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects and small mammals. Applications which increase wooded riparian corridors and improve habitat for state and federally listed threatened, rare and endangered aquatic species are encouraged.

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How to Apply

Interested landowners may contact the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office to submit an application and to have a site evaluation form completed.

For More Information

For more information about WHIP contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office for program information and announcements or visit the NRCS at the link below.

• National program information, fact sheets, and other information

Program Contact

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