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Draft 10/8/99 <br />5. Programs administered through Natura/ Resource Conservation <br />Service and Soi/and Water District <br />There are a number of programs :.administered (usually on an <br />individual basis) through the US Department. of Agriculture, the <br />Natural .Resource Conservation Service and state affiliate,: the local. <br />Soil. and -Water Districts. These programs target preserving lands, in <br />different .fashions, for 10 to 50 -year periods. The Wildlife Habitat <br />.Incentive Program (WHIP) is used to enhance habitat for small <br />game via five to ten year contracts .that specify landowner <br />maintenance. responsibilities. The Environmental Quality Incentives <br />Program (EQIP) is available to livestock or .agricultural producers <br />and landowners fora 5-10 year contract. EQIP.offers cost-sharing <br />and incentive payments for activities such. as streambank and <br />shoreline protection and stream. channel stabilization. among others. <br />The. Conservation.Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) offers 10- <br />15 year contracts to remove lands from agricultural production, and <br />plant hardwoods, or maintain filter strips, riparian buffers -and <br />wetland restoration to reduce excessive nutrient and sedimentation <br />loading due to agricultural.. runoff. Incentive rates are 70% for filter <br />strips and 100% for riparian buffers-and wetland restoration. <br />Other programs available .through the local Soil and Water offices <br />are shown in Appendix. 0. <br />6. The Federa/ Lands Legacy initiative, Better America Bonds, -and <br />EPA. grant programs <br />As mentioned in Section I, there are two .new proposals making <br />their way -through Congress that could open up billions of dollars to <br />locale governments for open space preservation. Both bills are <br />currently in House and Senate committees. <br />In addition to these programs, there are a number of other grants <br />administered by the Environmental Protection Agency that might be <br />available .for land acquisition, such as the Wetland. Protection <br />Program. <br />7. Other Programs - <br />In addition to EPA and the, new proposals in Congress, there -are a <br />variety of grant programs available at the Federal level. The N.C. <br />Department of Transportation also has programs which could be <br />36 <br />