California Waterfowl Association

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

There are several types of programs designed to help landowners protect, restore, and enhance habitat including Wildlife Conservation and Agricultural Easements, Habitat Restoration, Habitat Enhancement, and Incentive Programs. For a short description of each of these, please read the information posted in the column to the right.

Listed below are the partners and programs that we at CWA work with. For more information, or to enlist the help of CWA’s experienced biologists, please contact us at wwp@calwaterfowl.org

Conservation Easements

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Easement Program: The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will pay willing landowners approximately 40-60% of their properties fair market value to purchase the farming and development rights in perpetuity. While farming and development are prohibited on easement lands, the landowner retains many rights including: trespass rights, mineral rights, grazing rights, the right to hunt and/or operate a hunting club, and the ability to pursue other types of undeveloped recreation (i.e. fishing, hiking, etc.). The FWS does not require landowners to flood their property, however, the FWS does reserve the right to flood easement properties at the governments expense. Landowners are not required to follow a management plan, but they are encouraged to participate in various programs for habitat restoration, enhancement and management.

Permanent Wetland Easement Program: The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), in cooperation with the State Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), administers this program which pays willing landowners approximately 50-70% of their properties fair market value to purchase the farming and development rights in perpetuity. Similar to the FWS Conservation Easement the landowner retains many rights including: trespass rights, mineral rights, the right to hunt and/or operate a hunting club, and the ability to pursue other types of undeveloped recreation (i.e. fishing, hiking, etc.). Easement landowners are required to follow a cooperatively developed wetland management plan and meet twice yearly with CDFG biologists to discuss habitat conditions and management.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP): The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) administers this program which provides landowners financial incentive to retire farmland and restore it to wetlands. To be eligible for WRP the property must have hydric (wetland) soils and an agricultural history. WRP offers landowners three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and 10-year restoration agreements. Permanent easements purchase development rights in perpetuity and the payment will be the lesser of the three: 1) the agricultural value of the land, 2) an established payment cap ($3000/acre) or 3) an amount offered by the landowner. In addition to the permanent easement payment, the NRCS pays 100% of the cost of restoring easement lands back to wetlands. The 30-year easement buys the property development rights for 30 years and pays 75% of the permanent easements value and 75% of the restoration costs. The 10-year restoration agreement does not put an easement on the property, instead it pays 75% of the cost of restoration and requires that the restored wetland be maintained for a minimum of ten years. Undeveloped recreation activities, such as hunting and fishing, are allowed and other uses such as livestock grazing can be negotiated. For further information contact your county NRCS/ USDA office.

Habitat Management Incentive Programs

California Waterfowl Habitat Program (Presley Program): The California Department of fish and Game (CDFG) will pay participating landowners $20 an acre per year for entering into a ten year agreement to follow a management plan which enhances waterfowl habitat on their property. Upon enrollment in the program a habitat management plan is cooperatively developed for each property by the CDFG and the participating landowner. CDFG management requirements will typically vary from year to year within the context of the original management plan. It is the responsibility of the landowner to annually implement the CDFG management requirements. The CDFG verifies compliance with the agreement at the end of each summer and makes payments accordingly.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will pay landowners $22 an acre per year for entering a ten year agreement to follow a management plan which enhances waterfowl habitat on their property. The NRCS verifies compliance with the agreement each summer and makes payments accordingly. Currently, only properties which are enrolled in the Waterbank Program are eligible for CRP. Interested landowners must apply for CRP before their Waterbank Contract has terminated.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): The United States Department of Agriculture, through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), will pay landowners of irrigated cropland $160 (rice) or $100 (other crops) an acre per year to enter into a ten year agreement to forego farming and establish upland habitat on their property. In addition to the yearly payment, FSA will pay for 50% of the costs of establishing the upland habitat. To be eligible for the program the property must have been owned by the applicant for at least one year and the property must have been farmed two of the last five years.

Landowner Incentive Program (LIP): The California Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is an effort to reverse the decline of special status species in the Central Valley of California through enhancement and management of private lands. The California LIP is a Department of Fish and Game program funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The California LIP will assist landowners with enhancing three habitat types, wetlands, native grasslands and riparian, by providing annual incentive payments in return for implementing habitat management plans that benefit special status species. Incentive payments for wetlands range from $25-200 per acre depending on region and type. Incentive payments for native grasslands and riparian areas are $50 and $40 per acre respectively.

Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Cost-Share Programs

Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program: The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will provide participating landowners 50% of the implementation costs for wetland restoration and enhancement projects. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact FWS staff who will work closely with landowners to develop a Habitat Restoration Proposal which is submitted for funding. Once a project is selected for funding the landowner and the FWS enter an agreement in which the FWS agrees to reimburse the cooperating landowner for 50% of the project cost and the landowner agrees to maintain the project for a minimum of ten years. The landowners contribution towards the project may be met through cash expenditures and or in-kind services. FWS contributions are generally limited to $25,000 per project per year. FWS staff are available to help with the design, engineering and implementation of the project.

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP): The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide landowners up to 75% of the costs for habitat restoration and enhancement projects. Similar to the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, applications and project proposals are annually submitted for funding. When funded an agreement is entered in which the NRCS agrees to reimburse the landowner for 75% of the project costs and the landowner agrees to maintain the project for a minimum of ten years. NRCS contributions are limited to $10,000 per project per year.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP): See the discussion of 10-year restoration agreements under the Conservation Easement heading.

Inland Wetland Conservation Program (IWCP): The State Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) implements this program which will cost-share with private landowners on wetland restoration and enhancement projects. Landowners interested in pursuing cost-share projects with the IWCP must first contact WCB staff and or a local sponsor (such as Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, local resource conservation districts, and city or county agencies). Working cooperatively, the landowner, WCB staff, and the local sponsor design and submit a project proposal for funding ( proposals are submitted quarterly). When funded, the WCB’s payment for the project is passed on to the landowner through the local sponsor. The landowners contribution towards the project may be met through cash expenditures and or in-kind services

North American Wetland Conservation Act Grants (NAWCA): Non-profit organizations such as the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) and DU often apply for these federal grants which provide funding for wetland restoration and enhancement on both public and private lands. Past NAWCA grants have provided considerable funding for wetland projects on private lands in the Sacramento Valley. Generally, NAWCA funds are used to cost-share on wetland projects and the landowner will agree to maintain the project for a minimum time (10-25 years). Landowner contributions may be met through cash expenditures or in-kind services. To receive NAWCA funding it is imperative that landowners contact CWA or DU before these organizations apply for grants.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND AGRICULTURAL EASEMENTS

When an easement is placed on a property, certain rights are purchased and withheld from the landowner (e.g., commercial development, agricultural production, etc.). There are many kinds of easements, and the restrictions placed on a property vary significantly. The incentive to purchase an easement on a property usually lies in the need to protect and sustain plant and wildlife populations, open space environments, and preserve water and air quality.

HABITAT RESTORATION

Habitat restoration is the act of turning land back to its native state as it persisted before man manipulated the ground for agricultural or development purposes.

HABITAT ENHANCEMENT

The term enhancement covers a wide range of activities, many of which are annual practices; including improving water delivery capabilities, replacing old water control structures, cleaning ditches, setting back overgrown vegetation, mowing, disking, etc.

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

With rising energy costs, the price tag for managing high quality habitat can be very expensive. In an effort to off set management costs, incentive programs pay landowners a percentage of their annual habitat management costs.