TWRA to receive over $800,000 for private conservation efforts
Source: Tennessean.com, by Al Cleveland
July 21, 2007
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will receive $849,510 in a competitive funding grant under the Landowner Incentive Program, according to a press release.
"The competitive grants are funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund and establish or supplement existing landowner incentive programs that provide technical or financial assistance to private landowners," the release said. "All grants need to be matched by funding of at least 25 percent from a non-Federal source."
TWRA will use the funds to continue a state-wide program in nine ecologically distinct provinces, according to the release. TWRA expects to add at least 60 participating landowners to the current program.
Many of these projects address the degraded water quality in local streams with a high biological diversity, the release said.
The Landowner Incentive Program, begun in 2002, supports cooperative efforts with private-sector landowners nationwide who are interested in conserving natural habitats for at-risk species, including federally listed endangered or threatened species and proposed or candidate species.
This is expected to be the last year that the program will be funded, the release said. Many of the projects funded by this program are expected to be co-opted into other conservation programs beginning next year.
