DEC Accepting Applications for Landowner Incentive Program

Funding Assists Grassland Protection and Management

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that the Department is accepting applications for the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP): Grassland Protection and Management. DEC received $600,000 in funding for LIP from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to aid in the protection and management of critical grasslands across the State. With this program, private landowners will be able to apply for technical guidance and financial incentives for the protection of at-risk grassland species on their land. DEC has partnered with Audubon NY to institute this program and guide conservation efforts.

"Grassland habitat is home to numerous species of wildlife, including endangered and threatened birds throughout New York State," Commissioner Sheehan said. "LIP provides an opportunity for private landowners to build upon the State's efforts to conserve and protect these critical ecosystems."

Grassland acreage across the State has decreased over the past three decades, due mostly to a reduction in pasture and hayfields, natural vegetative succession and development. Grasslands are dynamic habitats that are home to significant bird species, including the endangered short-eared owl, the threatened Henslow's sparrow and upland sandpiper. Consequently, grassland bird populations have declined dramatically across the State as well.

DEC and Audubon NY worked together to identify the main grassland areas throughout New York State. To best utilize available funding, DEC will limit eligibility to private landowners within these focus areas. The focus areas include portions of the following counties: Allegany, Cayuga, Chemung, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Otsego, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Tompkins, Ulster, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.

Eligible landowners interested in restoring and protecting grassland bird habitat and populations can apply for technical advice and financial incentives of $55 or $60 per acre per year to conduct the prescribed site management. The higher rate will be applied for parcels of land located within 25 miles of large urban areas (population of more than 100,000), reflecting higher soil rental rates near population centers. The deadline for pre-application submission is December 15, 2006.

Audubon NY will work with these landowners to develop successful habitat protection and management projects. Typically, projects will involve mowing fields after the birds have finished nesting. DEC staff will review the completed applications and choose recipients based on established rating criteria. DEC applications will be evaluated on criteria including: acreage to be protected and maintained, diversity of grassland birds on the property, and overall ecological benefit of the project. This selection process will ensure that all applicants are considered fairly and that the best projects are chosen.

LIP is federally-funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and projects are restricted to those that benefit species of greatest conservation need, as identified in the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS). The CWCS is designed to secure the State's wildlife populations and their key habitats for the benefit of current and future generations of New Yorkers. Future LIP grants will address other important habitats and ecological communities of concern.

To learn more about LIP or obtain an application, visit www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dpae/grants.html on the DEC website. Applications can also be obtained by sending an email to: F&WLIP@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by calling DEC's Bureau of Wildlife at (518) 402-8919.