Wildlife management often ranks high as a management objective for landowners. Since more than 75% of the forests in Massachusetts are owned by families and individuals, the future of many of our wildlife species are in the hands of private landowners. In fact, most rare species and species in decline in Massachusetts are found on privately owned lands. In order to help these species survive, it is important to find ways to provide private landowners technical assistance and resources for important habitat work. MassWildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) was created to do just that.
LIP is designed to reimburse private landowners up to 75% of the cost of managing lands to improve habitat for declining wildlife species across the Commonwealth. The focus of these grants will be on maintaining grasslands and creation of young tree and shrubland habitats which are in decline. More information on LIP, including grant application criteria, are available on MassWildlife’s webpage. State and municipal agencies are not eligible for this funding, but can direct inquiries to other MassWildlife habitat programs.
MassWildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) will be accepting grant applications October 26th through December 21 st, 2007 from private landowners, sportsmen’s clubs, land trusts and non-profit groups interested in improving wildlife habitat on their properties.
Since its first round of grants in 2005, 108 applicants have received funding from MassWildlife’s LIP on properties from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. A total of 7,100 acres of habitat improvement benefiting over 122 at-risk wildlife species has been funded. Habitat projects range from enhancing beaches for shorebird breeding habitat protection to grassland-bird breeding or rare turtle habitat maintenance.
For more information on the LIP program, contact:
Ken MacKenzie
Wildlife Biologist
508-389-6313
Additional Resources: