08/08/08 WHIP and WRP enrollment deadlines

October 15th is the final date for enroll in WHIP and WRP. WHIP is the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program for people who want to develop and improve habitat on private land. Next year there is nearly one million dollars set aside for Idaho projects. Bob Bartholomew of the NRCS says for the past two years they have targeted projects to help several cutthroat trout species of concern in eastern Idaho. BARTHOLOMEW "Right now we're featuring sage grouse down through south central Idaho, mountain quail in the Snake River Canyon and little ground squirrels actually in and around Gem, Payette counties." NRCS offers technical assistance and up to 75 percent of the WHIP project cost. WRP or Wetlands Reserve Program is another restoration type program. BARTHOLOMEW "Three types of agreements. One a permanent easement that's sold to the Department of Agriculture where we buy the development rights basically and then we pay 100 percent of the cost to restore it to working wetlands. Then a 30 year easement and again we pay I believe 75 percent of the restoration costs there and then just a straight restoration agreement that is about ten years long." Again, October 15th is the filing deadline for WRP and WHIP. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott