From Environmental Defense via Conservation Incentives
Late last year, USDA Utah State Conservationist Sylvia Gillen announced that $1.4 million of the state's FY2005 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding will be awarded to at-risk species projects. Three other states with similar established programs -- North Carolina, Idaho and Montana -- are expanding their set-aside scope and funding in FY2005.
The 2003 EQIP final rule established at-risk species as one of the program's four national priorities. "At-risk" is broadly defined in the rule as "any plant or animal species as determined by the State Technical Committee to need direct intervention to halt its population decline." Yet conservationists are challenged to ensure that program dollars actually benefit threatened, endangered, sensitive and other species of concern. Budgetary set-asides are proving an effective and increasingly popular way to get funding to landowners helping the species that need it most.
Last year, North Carolina Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) took a lead role nationwide by setting aside up to $200,000 at-risk funding, with the support of conservationists including Environmental Defense and Southern Environmental Law Center. The funding was directed to two declining habitats, Piedmont Prairies and freshwater aquatic systems. The prairies harbor declining plants and birds, and in the state's freshwater habitat, more than a quarter of the fish species and three-quarters of the mussel species are imperiled.
For FY2005, North Carolina NRCS is expanding both the funding and its potential use: up to $300,000 will be available and can be used to benefit any at-risk species. Applications are evaluated on a "program-neutral" basis; thus at-risk funds may be allocated not only through EQIP, but also other conservation programs, such as the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. That program's Restoration of Declining Habitats practice will now be available for EQIP as well. NRCS added a new component to that practice -- forest stand management, which is available only for projects that benefit at-risk species, not for commercial pre-thinning. The practice can be used to restore the open canopy favored by declining Piedmont Prairie plants and birds.
Utah established its new set-aside to better address rare wildlife and to avoid future Endangered Species Act listings. One million dollars is reserved for a request for proposals for partnership work in large-scale habitats, and an additional $400,000 will fund individual projects. Projects may benefit any of over 100 at-risk species, including federally listed, proposed and candidate species, state species of concern and species under state-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conservation agreements.
Montana and Idaho also have established set-aside funding. This year, Montana reserved $1.4 million for at-risk species, including a third year of funding for farmers affected by conservation work for the endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus). (See Conservation Incentives article for more information.)
When water levels are raised to benefit the sturgeon, irrigation equipment on downstream farms can be submerged. By converting to floating pumps, the farmers ensure that the aquatic habitat will not be contaminated by the irrigation equipment's fuel tanks. Other Montana set-aside dollars will go for cost-share funding for ranchers participating in a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances under development by FWS for the Arctic grayling and expected to be final later this year. The grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is a candidate for federal listing. For the first year, set-aside funds will benefit the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in Sheridan County, where the state's densest population of the federally threatened bird lives, and two fish: the federally threatened bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and the Westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi), a state species of special concern.
In Idaho, NRCS allocated $1.1 million of its FY2004 EQIP funding for two special projects, air quality and rare wildlife. Eligible projects could benefit any of 27 federally listed, proposed for listing, or candidate species, as well as other sensitive species needing conservation to reduce the likelihood of listing. On short notice, the state dispersed $200,000, and requests exceeded allocated funds. This year, Idaho set aside $1 million for any of 46 at-risk species. Farmers and ranchers must work directly with state or federal staff who monitor the species benefiting from the project.
By reserving funds for at-risk species, Utah, North Carolina and other states are bridging the gap between national priorities and state implementation. These models can, and should be, replicated nationwide.
