Environment DEC
From the June 2009 issue
DEC Funding Available for Grassland Protection Program
DEC is offering a total of $300,000 in grants to eligible private landowners interested in enhancing and restoring critical grassland habitat. With grasslands declining in New York and nationwide, DEC's Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) Grassland Protection Project directs funding to projects on private property that help at-risk species, which depend on these unique ecosystems to survive.
Important Wildlife Habitat
The steady decline in grassland habitat threatens many bird species.
Grasslands provide important habitat for a variety of wildlife and are especially significant for birds. In New York, the endangered short-eared owl, the threatened Henslow's sparrow, and the threatened upland sandpiper need grasslands to avoid further declines in their populations. Grassland acreage in the state has been decreasing drastically over the last three decades, due mostly to a reduction in pasture and hayfields, natural vegetative succession and development. Pastures and hayfields in New York decreased by about 33 percent in area between 1965 and 2006; during that time, grassland bird populations decreased at a fairly steady average rate of 6.5 percent per year.
"The Landowner Incentive Program is a great way to directly involve private landowners in the conservation of habitat in great need of protection," DEC Commissioner Grannis said. "This partnership will provide significant benefits to both landowners and the many species that call New York's grasslands home."
Public/Private Partnership
To address the loss of grasslands and at-risk species, the Landowner Incentive Program was created as a partnership between DEC and private landowners, since the vast majority of wildlife live in, use, or move through private property. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see "Related Links" below).
Private landowners can apply for technical guidance and financial incentives for the protection of at-risk grassland species on their land. To best achieve this purpose and guide conservation efforts, the DEC has joined with Audubon New York, a recognized authority in ornithology and habitat conservation. Eligible landowners interested in offsetting the decline in grassland bird habitat and populations will be able to 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, reflecting higher land rental rates near population centers.
Landowners who own grasslands of 10 acres or more in the green shaded areas are eligible to apply for the grant.
DEC and Audubon New York (see "Related Links" below) have identified the main grassland areas for the state. To maximize the program's benefit, DEC will limit LIP eligibility to private landowners who own grasslands of 10 acres or more within 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, Suffolk, Tompkins, Ulster, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.
More Information
To learn more about the program and obtain an application form, visit the Landowner Incentive Program page and LIP Grassland Protection Project page on DEC's website. Email questions or comments regarding the program or call 518-402-8910. The deadline for pre-application submission is August 1, 2009.
Related Links:
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (leaving DEC's site)
Audubon New York (leaving DEC's site)
