Landowner Incentive Program Program History and Authorization
The Wisconsin Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is administered through the
DNR's Bureau of Endangered Resources. The program began in 2003 with funding
from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the first cost-share grants were awarded
to landowners in 2006.
Development of program priorities, goals, and decisions regarding landowner funding occurs
through consensus of the program Guidance Team, a multi-disciplinary partner
group made up of individuals from:
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association
- Private Consultants
- Gathering Waters Conservancy
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- The Nature Conservancy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- University of Wisconsin
- Door County Land Trust
In Wisconsin, LIP was designed to help implement Wildlife
Action Plan. By focusing specifically on managing habitat on private land
for at-risk species (including Species of Greatest Conservation Need), the
Landowner Incentive Program complements the broader-focus of the State Wildlife
Grant program by implementing the private land Conservation Actions.
Authorization
The Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) program was created by Congress in The
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002,
in order to distribute $40,000,000 through matching, competitively awarded grants
to States, the District of Columbia, Tribes, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States
Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This funding
was used to establish, or supplement existing landowner incentive programs that
provide technical and financial assistance, including habitat protection and
restoration, to private landowners for the protection and management of habitat
to benefit federally listed, proposed, or candidate species, or other at-risk
species on private lands.
Wisconsin's legal authority was established in February 2006 through legislative
approval of ch.
NR 58, Wis Admin. Code [exit DNR]. The purpose
of the LIP rule (subchapter III) is to establish rules for the implementation
and administration of a grant program to fund management, restoration and protection
activities pertaining to Wisconsin's natural communities and rare flora and
fauna on private land.
Issues and Challenges
Loss of Federal Support
Despite the success of LIP in Wisconsin and across the country, the President's
Administration chose to eliminate LIP from their FY 2008 budget request, and
this budget was approved by congress in December of 2007. As a result, state
LIP programs are no longer supported by a dedicated federal funding source.
Despite this significant set-back, Wisconsin's LIP continues to explore other
sources of financial support for the Program. Recent successes include several
generous gifts through the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, support
from Turkey Stamp funds for habitat work that jointly benefits wild turkey populations
and at-risk species, a State Wildlife Grant grant award, and most recently a
Federal Competitive Portion State Wildlife grant awarded jointly to Wisconsin
and Iowa DNRs for work in the Driftless Region.
Through these sources, LIP has continued to support landowners since 2008 as
program continues to seek a more permanent source of funding. At present, no
state or federal funding is dedicated to Wisconsin's LIP. The program is still
listed in the annual Department of Interior budget, although the annual allotment
has remained set at $0 since 2008.
Last Revised: April 20, 2010
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