The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW) works to restore threatened habitats such as wetlands or grasslands. Through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal government shares in the cost to restore habitats on cropland, forestland, grazing land, and recreational land. Examples of some conservation practices include restoring native vegetation and wetlands, creating shallow water areas, and recreating natural drainage areas.
Land Use
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Cropland, Grazing land, Recreational land, Forestland
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Focus
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Cost-share payments
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Resource Concern
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Water quality, Wildlife habitat
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Purpose
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The environmental purpose is to restore wetlands, grasslands and threatened or endangered species habitats.
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Landowner Benefits
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Landowners obtain technical assistance on appropriate management and stewardship of priority resources, as well as obtain cost-share to implement restoration activities.
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Description
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This program encourages landowners to restore and enhance ecosystems such as wetlands and to improve habitat for fish and wildlife. Priorities for funding include those programs that affect migratory birds and fishes, and imperiled habitats.
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Practices
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Blocking drainage ditches, breaking tile drains, creating shallow water areas where wetland plants can grow, recreating natural drainage and stream meanders, excluding livestock and providing alternative water sources, re-vegetating streamside habitats, restoring native vegetation in uplands, and prescribed burning.
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Costs to Landowner
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The landowner or some other non-federal source is usually asked to cover about 50% of the cost of habitat restoration, but this ratio is flexible and the agency can elect to pay for all of the costs.
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Eligibility
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There are no restrictions on project size. Eligible projects are wide ranging and include farmed lands, pasture, and forestry sites, and habitat for migratory birds and fish, and threatened or endangered species.
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Contract
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Landowners are asked to maintain management practices or restore habitats for approximately 10 years. Some projects may require longer-term agreements.
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Other Notes
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Special considerations are given to projects that: 1) are on permanently protected private lands; 2) are identified as high priority by state fish and wildlife agencies; 3) are located near National Wildlife Refuges; 4) reduce habitat fragmentation; 5) conserve or restore natural communities that are designated as imperiled;. 6) are self-sustaining systems that are not dependent on artificial structures.
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Landowner Initiation
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- Contact the Fish & Wildlife Service or your conservation district where you own land.
- Ask about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
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