CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura is encouraging California farmers and ranchers to participate in conservation programs through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides financial and technical assistance to develop conservation practices that benefit wildlife habitat on agricultural land.

“The technical and financial services offered by NRCS are a great benefit to California farmers,” said Secretary A.G. Kawamura. “Conservation of our working landscapes is essential to being a good steward of the land.”

The WHIP program provides cost share, up to 75 percent, for specific practices that provide significant resource benefit to create, improve or enhance wildlife habitat. The program targets agricultural land such as cropland, rangeland, pasture, nonindustrial private forestland, and any other land on which agricultural and forest-related products or livestock are produced or have the potential to be produced. Tribal land is also eligible.

Applications for the WHIP program are available at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov. For further information on this program contact your local NRCS office listed in the government section of the phone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture.