The Landowner Incentive Program Awards 19 Grants to Private Landowners, Currently Accepting Letters of Interest for Fall 2008 Funding

Photo by Nancy Aten.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is pleased to announce 19 new cost-share grants have been awarded this spring to private landowners through the Landowner Incentive Program. This program, run through the Bureau of Endangered Resources, is intended to support private landowners who choose to manage their property to benefit rare and threatened plants and animals.

"The ultimate goal of this program is to support the recovery of these rare species and natural communities and to prevent their further decline," says Signe Holtz, director of the DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources. "The biggest threat to most rare species is loss or degradation of habitat. More than 85 percent of the land in Wisconsin is in private ownership and we estimate about 90 percent of at-risk species have populations on private land, so supporting private landowners in their efforts to restore and enhance habitat for these species is an essential part of the strategy to preserve biodiversity in Wisconsin."

The 2009 LIP awards are going to projects spread throughout 9 Wisconsin Counties, including a restoration at Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s historic home, and on one of the last native prairie remnants in Milwaukee County. Each project will directly benefit at least one rare plant or animal known to be at the site or within ½ mile, benefiting over 130 species in total.

Landowners interested in applying for assistance from the program can submit letters of interest for the fall 2008 grant cycle through LIP Website. "By providing us with this basic information, LIP will be able to assist potential applicants with developing a fundable proposal, as well as connect them with additional options to help them meet their land management goals. The goal is to make the grant application process accessible to everyone." explains Heidi Nelson, LIP coordinator.

The LIP website also offers a listing of events and tours, as well as descriptions of projects currently and previously funded by the program. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi Nelson – (608) 267-0797