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I.  **OBJECTIVES**

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1.  Provide technical and financial assistance to enhance habitat on
    eligible land for upland, wetland and other types of wildlife,
    threatened and endangered species, and fisheries. Emphasis will be
    placed upon:

    -   Wildlife and fisheries habitats of National and State
        significance;

    -   Habitats of fish and wildlife species experiencing declining or
        significantly reduced populations, including rare, threatened,
        and endangered species;

    -   Practices beneficial to fish and wildlife that may not otherwise
        be funded.

2.  Provide program participants with technical assistance and
    educational materials regarding wildlife habitat needs.

3.  Foster a positive public attitude toward wildlife, wildlife habitat
    and land stewardship.

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II. **WILDLIFE HABITAT PRIORITIES**

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1.  *Promote the restoration of declining or important native wildlife
    habitats*. This national NRCS WHIP priority for FY2006 is supported
    also by the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan &
    Strategy (IDNR, 2005). In Illinois, the two general types of habitat
    that have declined the most in acreage and quality are native
    grasslands and wetlands. Grassland wildlife has suffered a great
    decline in Illinois since the advent of production agriculture. Most
    of the lands currently used for crop production in Illinois were
    tallgrass prairie at the time of European settlement. Of an
    estimated 21 million acres of prairie, less than 2,600 acres of
    high-quality remnants remain -- a loss of more than 99.99%. The
    remaining small areas of grassland are threatened by succession,
    fire suppression, invasive species, and conversion to other land
    uses, and most are too small to attract area-sensitive species
    (IDNR, 2005). Wetlands were once a dominant feature of the Illinois
    landscape, but have been reduced by more than 90% for agriculture,
    development, and other land uses. Of the remaining wetlands in
    Illinois, most have been highly degraded (IDNR, 2005) Conservation
    actions identified for WHIP in Illinois, which are also action items
    in the Illinois Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan & Strategy,
    include the following:

    -   using early successional habitat management on existing
        grasslands to improve diversity and quality of habitat.

    -   restoring and enhancing "treeless" grassland areas to make up
        larger blocks (at least ½ mile wide) of grassland.

    -   restoring ephemeral and other fishless, semipermanent wetlands
        for migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, amphibians and other
        wildlife.

    -   restoring ephemeral wetlands in upland sand prairie habitat.

    -   restoring basin marshes in the Northeast Morainal and Grand
        Prairie natural divisions.

    -   protecting, restoring, developing or enhancing habitats of
        at-risk species (State and Federally listed threatened or
        endangered species).

2.  *Reduce the impacts of invasive species on wildlife habitats*. The
    rate at which invasive exotic species degrade natural areas in
    prairie, forested, wetland and farmland border habitats is
    increasing (IDNR, 2005). WHIP in Illinois will set a priority on
    removing and controlling invasive exotic plants in natural areas.

3.  *Protect, restore, develop or enhance declining or important aquatic
    wildlife species' habitats.* In addition to the native wildlife
    habitats specifically targeted in priority #1, the stream habitats
    of Illinois are particularly at risk. Degradation of streambanks due
    to hydrologic changes from increased urbanization, nutrients and
    sediment in runoff from agricultural fields and urban areas, levee
    systems that disconnect rivers from floodplains, channelization of
    streams, and the loss of riparian forests along many streams has led
    to the loss of important aquatic habitats (IDNR, 2005). Priorities
    for WHIP in Illinois include the following:

    -   establishing native vegetation on highly erodible land (HEL)
        soils

    -   establishing buffers along bodies of water

    -   establishing and restoring wetland habitat with native plants

    -   limiting livestock access to streams

    -   using drainage water management on tile drainage from
        agricultural fields

4.  *Reduce forest fragmentation in Illinois.* Fragmentation contributes
    to the invasion of nonnative species, and exacerbates natural
    wildlife interactions such as high rates of predation by generalist
    predators and parasitism of songbird nests by brown-headed cowbirds
    to undesirable levels (IDNR, 2005). Priorities identified for WHIP
    include the following:

    -   restoring woodlands along forest streams.

    -   maintaining or restoring open wooded habitat such as
        savannah/barren, shrub/successional, and open woodland.

    -   planting trees and shrubs to reduce forest fragmentation of
        forest 500 acres or larger, or to connect forest areas to make
        tracts of more than 500 contiguous forested acres.

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III. **CONSERVATION PRACTICES APPROVED FOR THE WILDLIFE HABITAT
     INCENTIVES PROGRAM IN ILLINOIS**

  ---------- --------------------------------------------------------------
  **Code**   **Name**

  314        Brush Management

  327        Conservation Cover

  342        Critical Area Planting

  356        Dike

  362        Diversion

  554        Drainage Water Management

  647        Early Successional Habitat Development/Management

  382        Fence

  386        Field Border

  393        Filter Strip

  394        Firebreak

  396        Fish Passage\*\*

  490        Forest Site Preparation

  666        Forest Stand Improvement

  422        Hedgerow Planting

  516        Pipeline

  378        Pond\*

  338        Prescribed Burning

  643        Restoration and Management of Declining Habitats

  391        Riparian Forest Buffer

  390        Riparian Herbaceous Cover

  646        Shallow Water Management for Wildlife

  395        Stream Habitat Improvement and Management

  580        Streambank & Shoreline Protection\*\*\*

  612        Tree/Shrub Establishment

  645        Upland Wildlife Habitat Management

  472        Use Exclusion

  659        Wetland Enhancement

  657        Wetland Restoration

  644        Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management

  648        Wildlife Watering Facility\*

  380        Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment

  650        Windbreak/Shelterbelt Renovation
  ---------- --------------------------------------------------------------

> *\* Ponds and Wildlife Watering Facilities are limited to \$2,500 NRCS
> cost share, and the primary purpose must be wildlife habitat and be a
> necessary part of a wildlife management plan written by a wildlife
> biologist. No existing permanent source of water can be within 160
> acres surrounding the proposed pond or watering facility. At least 5
> acres around the pond or watering facility must be managed for
> wildlife and be included in the WHIP agreement.*
>
> *\*\* Fish Passage is limited to \$10,000 NRCS cost share.*
>
> *\*\*\* Streambank and Shoreline Protection must directly benefit an
> aquatic Threatened or Endangered Species, or be in prioritized
> targeted watersheds and streams as identified by IEPA and IDNR
> Fisheries biologist.*
>
> *All practices in the Wildlife Habitat Development Plan must be chosen
> by the planner for the primary purpose of wildlife habitat
> improvement.*

IV. **PARTNERSHIP INVOLVEMENT**

> The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has an agreement
> with NRCS to provide technical assistance by writing wildlife plans
> when requested. The WHIP subcommittee of the State Technical Committee
> includes several members from IDNR who have assisted with the
> development of this State Plan.
>
> The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) runs an active
> Partners for Wildlife program in Illinois, which pays 60% to 100% cost
> share for wetland restoration. USFWS members are also active on the
> WHIP subcommittee of the State Technical Committee and have assisted
> with the development of this State Plan.
>
> Pheasants Forever and Quail Unlimited have active chapters throughout
> much of the state, and encourage their chapters to provide equipment
> and planting assistance to landowners with WHIP Wildlife Habitat
> Development Plans. The National Wild Turkey Federation has assisted
> with the development of wildlife plans, and The Nature Conservancy is
> represented on the WHIP subcommittee of the State Technical Committee.

V.  **STATE RANKING CRITERIA**

> The Illinois WHIP ranking criteria are updated from the FY2006 ranking
> criteria, using the "yes/no" question format of the electronic ranking
> tool to be introduced in FY2007. There are two sets of ranking
> criteria: General WHIP and Essential Habitat (shown in Appendices A
> and B). The electronic ranking criteria will also include an economic
> benefit/cost ranking component that will be assigned approximately 15%
> of the possible ranking points. The ranking criteria are subject to
> annual review and update, without republishing in the State WHIP Plan.
>
> Essential Habitat contracts are limited to 15% of the state's annual
> cost share allocation (USDA-NRCS, 517.40(f)). Eligible Essential
> Habitat type must meet specific requirements as listed on the Ranking
> Criteria, and the Essential Habitat WHIP agreement must protect sites
> that have not been protected from habitat degradation, prior to the
> agreement. The Essential Habitat WHIP agreement provides 100% cost
> share for eligible practices that directly benefit the targeted
> population(s) of State and/or Federally listed threatened or
> endangered plants and animals. Other eligible WHIP practices are cost
> shared at 75%.

  ------------- ----------------------------------------- ---------------
  **Contract    **Cost Share Rate for Eligible            **Contract
  Type**        Practices**                               Length**

  General WHIP  75%                                       5 -- 10 years

  Essential     100% *(for practices directly benefiting  At least 15
  Habitat       target population(s) of State and/ or     years
                Federally listed threatened or endangered 
                plants and animals)*                      
  ------------- ----------------------------------------- ---------------

> The general strategy for the ranking criteria development is to:

-   Determine program eligibility of the applicant and of the land

-   Assign points to the application based on the degree to which the
    proposed plan addresses the Illinois and National WHIP priorities

-   Assign points to the application based on its likelihood of success,
    economic considerations, and planned educational benefits.

VI. **MEASURING PROGRAM SUCCESS**

> The Illinois Wildlife Habitat Evaluation from Illinois Biology
> Technical Note No. 18 will be used to establish a baseline condition
> of the farm with a wildlife habitat score, and again after the
> practices are installed at the end of the contract period. The
> Wildlife Habitat Development Plan will be designed to increase the
> wildlife habitat score from the baseline condition, after the planned
> practices are installed.

VII. **REFERENCES**

> Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). 2005. The Illinois
> Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan & Strategy, version 1.0.
> [*www.dnr.state.il.us/orc/Wildliferesources/theplan/final*](http://www.dnr.state.il.us/orc/Wildliferesources/theplan/final)
>
> Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). 1996. Inventory of
> Resource Rich Areas in Illinois: An Evaluation of Ecological
> Resources. Prepared for the Department of Natural Resources by Liane
> Suloway, Mark Joselyn, and Patrick W. Brown,\
> Center for Wildlife Ecology, Illinois Natural History Survey.
> [*http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/rra/rra.html*](http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/rra/rra.html)
>
> United States Department of Agriculture -- Natural Resources
> Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). March, 2003. Title 440 --
> Conservation Programs Manual, Part 517 -- Wildlife Habitat Incentives
> Program.

VIII. **APPENDIX A -- Illinois General WHIP Ranking Criteria** *page 1
      of 2*

> **Identification:**
>
> Applicant Name
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
> Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Address
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> NRCS Field Office County \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
> Total WHIP Agreement Acres \_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> **Eligibility Factors:** (All of the following must be true or the
> application is not eligible)

A.  Success is NOT jeopardized by onsite or offsite conditions *(e.g.
    hoglot pollution above a fish habitat restoration project)*

B.  Ownership:

    1.  Applicant CAN prove control of the land for the contract period.

    2.  Land is NOT in federal ownership.

    3.  Land is NOT in CRP, WRP, or GRP.

    4.  Land is NOT in public, nonfederal ownership (unless exempted by
        the NRCS State Conservationist).

C.  The planned practice(s) or their results are NOT included in the
    requirements of participation in another NRCS program such as EQIP
    or CSP.

D.  Size: the WHIP agreement will cover at least 5 acres that are
    managed for wildlife habitat.

> **Definitions:**

-   *Declining or important native wildlife habitats* include Illinois
    pre-settlement wetlands, native grasslands and savannahs, and
    perennial streams.

-   *Benefits to threatened and endangered species* must be documented
    on the Endangered and Threatened Species Review by the E&T
    Coordinator.

> National Issues:

  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------
                                                                   Points

  1\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             20
  WHIP result in the restoration of declining or                   
  important native wildlife habitats?                              

  2\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             15
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for               
  at-risk species which can include candidate species              
  and State listed threatened and endangered species?              

  3\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             15
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for               
  Federally listed threatened and endangered wildlife              
  species?                                                         

  4\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             20
  WHIP result in the reduction of invasive species on              
  wildlife habitats?                                               

  5\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             10
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of declining or important             
  aquatic wildlife species' habitats?                              
  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------

> **Illinois General WHIP Ranking Criteria** *page 2 of 2*
>
> State Issues:

  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------
                                                                   Points

  1\. Will the project use early successional habitat              10
  management on existing grassland consisting of at                
  least 50% of the contract acres?                                 

  2\. Will the project result in restoring or                      10
  enhancing "treeless" grasslands in a block at least              
  ½ mile square by adding 5 acres minimum of                       
  "treeless" grassland through the contract?                       

  3\. Will the project restore ephemeral and other                 10
  fishless, semipermanent wetlands for migratory                   
  shorebirds, waterfowl, amphibians and other                      
  wildlife?                                                        

  4\. Will the project restore ephemeral upland sand               10
  prairie wetland habitat in the Illinois/Mississippi              
  River Sand Prairie natural division, as per                      
  Attachment 1?                                                    

  5\. Will the project restore ephemeral shallow water             10
  wetlands and marshes outside of floodplains in the               
  Northeast Morainal or Grand Prairie natural                      
  divisions, as per Attachment 1?                                  

  6\. Will the project establish vegetation native to              5
  the site on highly erodible land (HEL) soils?                    

  7\. Will the project establish or restore vegetated              10
  buffers at least 35 ft. wide along streams, ponds or             
  lakes?                                                           

  8\. Will the project create a positive management                10
  change by limiting livestock access to streams?                  

  9\. Will the project use drainage water management               5
  on existing tile drainage from agricultural fields?              

  10\. Will the project result in restoring the                    10
  following types of habitat: savannah/barren,                     
  prairie, shrub/successional, and/or woodland on at               
  least 50% of the contract acres?                                 

  11\. Will the project result in a minimum of 1 acre              10
  of either reforestation of openings or corridors to              
  reconnect at least 10 acres to the larger forest,                
  that will result in more than 500 contiguous                     
  forested acres?                                                  

  12\. Is the project site adjacent to a protected                 5
  area (e.g. acres managed primarily for wildlife                  
  habitat)?                                                        

  13\. Will the project include an educational                     5
  component (e.g. research, tours, etc)?                           
  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------

> ![](media/image2.png){width="4.458333333333333in"
> height="6.6875in"}**Attachment 1** (IDNR, 1996)
>
> *NOTE: The Natural Division of Illinois map will be used by NRCS in
> the form of a GIS shape file on the USDA Service Center Server at
> F:\\geodata\\ecological\\natural_divisions_a_il.shp*

IX. **APPENDIX B -- Illinois Essential Habitat WHIP Ranking Criteria**
    *page 1 of 2*

> **Identification:**
>
> Applicant Name
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
> Date\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> Address
> \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> NRCS Field Office County \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
> Total WHIP Agreement Acres \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
> **Eligibility Factors:** (All of the following must be true or the
> application is not eligible)

A.  Success is NOT jeopardized by onsite or offsite conditions *(e.g.
    hoglot pollution above a fish habitat restoration project)*

B.  Ownership:

    1.  Applicant CAN prove control of the land for the contract period.

    2.  Land is NOT in federal ownership.

    3.  Land is NOT in CRP, WRP, or GRP.

    4.  Land is NOT in public, nonfederal ownership (unless exempted by
        the NRCS State Conservationist).

C.  The planned practice(s) or their results are NOT included in the
    requirements of participation in another NRCS program such as EQIP
    or CSP.

D.  Size: the WHIP agreement will cover at least 5 acres that are
    managed for wildlife habitat.

E.  Habitat type meets at least one of the following criteria and be
    documented on the Endangered and Threatened Species Review by the
    E&T Coordinator:

    -   Critical Habitat as designated by the Fish and Wildlife Service
        for Federally listed threatened and endangered species.

    -   Illinois Natural Areas Inventory Site designated as Category II
        (Specific suitable habitat for State listed species).

    -   Other sites which are essential for known populations of State
        or Federally listed threatened or endangered plants and animals.

    -   The project will assist with a recovery plan developed under the
        Endangered Species Act or approved State of Illinois recovery
        plan / recovery outline.

F.  The site has not already been enrolled in a program (prior to WHIP
    agreement) where wildlife habitat objectives have been sufficiently
    achieved through other forms of assistance, or without assistance.

> **Definitions:**

-   *Declining or important native wildlife habitats* include Illinois
    pre-settlement wetlands and native grasslands and savannahs.

-   *Benefits to threatened and endangered species* must be documented
    on the Endangered and Threatened Species Review by the E&T
    Coordinator.

**Illinois Essential Habitat WHIP Ranking Criteria** *page 2 of 2*

> **National Issues:**

  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------
                                                                   Points

  1\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             15
  WHIP result in the restoration of declining or                   
  important native wildlife habitats?                              

  2\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             15
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for               
  at-risk species which can include candidate species              
  and State listed threatened and endangered species?              

  3\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             15
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for               
  Federally listed threatened and endangered wildlife              
  species?                                                         

  4\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             10
  WHIP result in the reduction of invasive species on              
  wildlife habitats?                                               

  5\. Will the treatment you intend to implement using             10
  WHIP result in the protection, restoration,                      
  development or enhancement of declining or important             
  aquatic wildlife species' habitats?                              
  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------

> **State Issues:**

  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------
                                                                   Points

  1\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 2                  10
  Federally listed threatened or endangered species?               

  2\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 3                  20
  Federally listed threatened or endangered species?               

  3\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 4                  30
  Federally listed threatened or endangered species?               

  4\. Will the project directly benefit 5 or more                  40
  Federally listed threatened or endangered species?               

  5\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 2                  10
  State listed threatened or endangered species?                   

  6\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 3                  20
  State listed threatened or endangered species?                   

  7\. Will the project directly benefit exactly 4                  30
  State listed threatened or endangered species?                   

  8\. Will the project directly benefit 5 or more                  40
  State listed threatened or endangered species?                   

  9\. Will the project be a part of a larger wildlife              5
  management plan involving the financial                          
  participation of other agencies (state, federal,                 
  local, etc)?                                                     

  10\. Is the project site adjacent to a protected                 5
  area (e.g. acres managed primarily for wildlife                  
  habitat?                                                         

  10\. Is the site NOT protected (prior to WHIP                    5
  agreement) from habitat degradation by easement or               
  designation?                                                     
  ---------------------------------------------------- ----------- --------