Overview of Montana Youth for Wildlife

Montana Youth for Wildlife is an exciting new initiative that gives youth groups the opportunity to make a difference while working to improve wildlife habitat. Youth group members will:

• Work outdoors
• Learn about wildlife habitat
• Get hands-on experience

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is opening the door for youth groups to participate in its Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Through Montana Youth for Wildlife, funds can be obtained for youth groups to work in cooperation with NRCS field office staff to get conservation practices on the ground.

4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, schools, and other adult-supervised organizations are invited to participate in the Youth for Wildlife initiative. By working together, we can restore wetlands and stream banks; plant buffers, nesting cover, and wildlife shelterbelts; and build fish passages. These are just a few examples of projects that young people can accomplish in Montana Youth for Wildlife.

During this experience, youth group members will also:

• Interact with landowners
• Participate in the conservation process... from planning...to construction...to maintaining the completed practice
• Identify conservation issues and be part of the solution
• Improve their community

The Montana Youth for Wildlife initiative is part of the USDA Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. WHIP is a voluntary program administered by NRCS to create, restore, and enhance wildlife habitats.

To participate, youth groups need to identify an area in need of conservation treatment, obtain landowner permission, complete an application process, and enter into a contract with NRCS and the landowner.

The contract outlines conservation practices that will be installed and the costs. Through WHIP, NRCS will pay (cost-share) 75 percent of the conservation measures. The youth group and/or landowner is responsible for the remaining 25 percent of the costs. The non-NRCS portion can be in-kind contributions (i.e. labor or materials).

Lands eligible for Montana Youth for Wildlife projects include:

• Privately owned land;
• Federal land when the primary benefit is on private or Tribal land;
• State and local government land on a limited basis; and
• Tribal land.

Each group will need to work with the landowner and NRCS conservationist to:

• Identify appropriate Montana Youth for Wildlife projects
• Develop a conservation plan
• Complete and submit a one-page application form
• Implement the conservation plan
• Evaluate the implemented plan
• Report the results of the conservation plan

WARNING: The Natural Resources Conservation Service has determined that conservation can be habitat forming.

You can visit the local NRCS office for more information about Montana Youth for Wildlife. Details about WHIP are available at the national Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program web page.