The United States Department of Agriculture has announced that the 2002 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) signup will end Friday July 19, 2002. Signups will be taken at your local USDA Service Center. The emphasis of WHIP is to promote wildlife habitat and its management on private lands using a variety of proven management techniques such as prescribed burning, habitat manipulation, wildlife food plots, forest buffers, and others. The primary goal in Florida is to enhance or restore native habitat and to emphasize conservation efforts that benefit rare, threatened or endangered species or ecological communities, such as longleaf pine. 

Interested participants must own or lease a minimum of 40 acres and must be willing to maintain any installed practices for at least two years after installation. Cost-share funds per contract are generally limited to $20,000 each. Applicants will be prioritized based on wildlife management objectives.

For further information on the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service at (850)  997-4058 or come our office at the USDA Service Center located at the Dunn Building, US 19 North in Monticello.