NRCS Makes $634,134 Available to Restore Salmon Habitat

Voluntary Conservation Program Aids Private Landowners

February 28, 2005, Palmer, AK – Acting Alaska State Conservationist Febe Ortiz today announced the availability of $634,134 to help landowners in Alaska with projects that restore habitat for Pacific salmon. The funds are made available as part of the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program’s (WHIP) Salmon Habitat Restoration Initiative.

“NRCS’ goal is to assure healthy habitats for Alaska’s salmon,” said Ortiz. “These funds will help implement projects that benefit not only the salmon populations, but also Alaskans who depend on the fish for subsistence, fish for recreation, or harvest salmon commercially.”

Through this initiative, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will consider for funding projects that provide shade along streams, restore gravel spawning beds, remove barriers to fish passages and other conservation practices that restore and maintain healthy watersheds to ensure long-term salmon survival.

Landowners who want specific information regarding program participation or who want to sign up for WHIP should contact their local NRCS Field Office. Contact information for the 12 field offices in Alaska is available at www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/fieldoffices.html, or by calling 907-761-7760.

Landowner applications must be complete by May 27, 2005 to be considered for FY05 funding.

WHIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian and aquatic habitat areas on their property. The program offers landowners 5- to 10-year agreements and 15-year or longer agreements.

Additional information on WHIP is at http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/programs. Interested landowners should contact their local NRCS office field office.

< Back to News Releases