FY98 and FY99 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) Summary Report

Updated 12/05/2005

KENTUCKY WHIP SUCCESS STORY FOR FY-98 AND FY-99

Historically, much of Kentucky’s landscape was dominated by early successional habitat such as tall grass prairies, barrens, and scrub and shrub ecosystems. Along with this ecosystem evolved an extensive early successional wildlife community. Since the early 1950s, wildlife associated with this community has demonstrated steady population declines. These early successional species include bobwhite quail, eastern cottontail rabbit, eastern kingbird, loggerhead shrike, prairie warbler, grasshopper sparrow, and other grassland bird species. Population declines are attributed to lack of habitat diversity due to agricultural practices such as native grass conversion to cropland and pasture, extensive fescue plantings, fence row to fence row cultivation, and grassland mowing during the nesting seasons.

Kentucky’s WHIP has focused primarily on the restoration and creation of diverse early successional habitats through native grass plantings, shrub plantings, field border establishment, buffer practices, fescue eradication, strip mowing outside the nesting seasons, and other practices.

Kentucky’s wetland ecosystems have also been severely altered, with less than 20% of our original wetlands remaining today. While Kentucky’s WHIP funds will not be used to restore wetlands on lands eligible for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), wetland creation (e.g. moist soil units and greentree reservoirs) on lands not eligible for WRP has also be a FY99 WHIP focus.

In 1998 and 1999, Kentucky’s WHIP program has generated outstanding interest from over 750 landowners across the state. Financial assistance requests through the WHIP program exceeded 2.4 million dollars cumulatively for FY98 and FY99. Habitat was improved on over 13,300 acres by funding 249 applications in FY98 and FY99.

Kentucky has effectively focused WHIP resources on the statewide priority of reestablishing early successional habitat. Over 2,500 acres of native grassland/prairie have been restored or created improving habitat for grassland species of concern within the state. Approximately 900 acres of fescue, a grass that is detrimental to grassland wildlife species, have been converted to wildlife friendly introduced grasses. In addition to these primary practices, agricultural systems have been enhanced for grassland species by installing over 200,000 linear feet of field border, 25 miles of livestock exclusion from streams, livestock exclusion from over 1,800 acres of woodland and wildlife lands. These practices provide important edge and grassland habitat within an agricultural setting for grassland species. Table 1 and 2 provide more detailed information regarding practices for FY 98 and FY99.

Another important WHIP highlight is that the partnership between NRCS and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has strengthened due to FY-98 and FY-99 WHIP. Three KDFWR wildlife biologists are now co-funded and co-located within NRCS field offices. These biologists work with NRCS personnel on farm bill issues, wildlife training, program criteria development, and program application servicing. KDFWR also have 14 private lands biologists that were instrumental in developing WHIP plans and servicing WHIP applications. This partnership ensures that wildlife benefits will be a part of planning for all Farm Bill programs in Kentucky.

FY98 Summary Report

*Wildlife Friendly Introduced Grasses

FY99 Summary Report

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