United States Department of Agriculture
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Program Implementation

Montana's WHIP State Plan will be implemented as a partnership effort. Primary partners involved in project planning and implementation include NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Conservation Districts, Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited. Biologists from WHIP partner agencies and private groups will collaborate in training NRCS Field Office personnel, conservation district representatives, and the public. WHIP project proposals will be evaluated and ranked by NRCS with an interdisciplinary team of district conservationists, biologists, and other necessary disciplines. The preferred alternative for WHIP implementation involves use of TA funds to maintain the shared Area Office biologist position located in Glasgow. Area biologists will continue to work with the state biologist, program specialist, and partners to build cooperative projects which provide at least a one-to-one match with WHIP funds. If budget considerations do not allow for the area biologist positions, the state biologist, and field/area office staff will work with partners to implement WHIP.

The following summarizes personnel available from cooperating agencies and groups for WHIP implementation:

Personnel Available for WHIP Implementation
Agency Personnel
NRCS 1 WHIP Program Specialist
4 Area Biologists
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 8 Biologists
NRCS/Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks 1 Area Biologist (Contribution Agreement Position)
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks 15 Biologists
Ducks Unlimited 1 Biologist
Trout Unlimited 1 Biologist
Pheasants Forever 1 Biologist

NRCS Public Affairs Staff will coordinate an accelerated information program to further publicize WHIP. This will include radio interviews, newspaper articles, fact sheets, and related materials.

Primary NRCS conservation practices for WHIP implementation include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • 645 Wildlife Upland Habitat Management.
  • 644 Wildlife Wetland Habitat Management.
  • 657 Wetland Restoration.
  • 643 Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats.
  • 395 Fish Stream Improvement.
  • 612 Tree and Shrub Establishment.
  • 528 Prescribed Grazing.
  • 314 Brush Management.
  • 582 Open Channel.
  • 472 Use Exclusion.
  • 580 Streambank and Shoreline Protection.

A variety of other practices will be used to supplement implementation of WHIP.

< Back to Montana WHIP State Plan Fiscal Year 2007