Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership (RPWHP), grants available for grassland conservation in central nj

Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership


Conservation Resources Inc. was recently awarded a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation of nearly $1 million dollars to fund what is known as the Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership (RPWHP) and its implementation of the newly completed Grassland Conservation Plan. Over the next two years, Conservation Resources Inc. will re-grant the Duke Foundation funds to non-profit members of RPWHP for land acquisition and habitat restoration projects to benefit rare and declining grassland bird species.
BACKGROUND
The Raritan- Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership is a diverse group of organizations executing the goals of the New Jersey State Wildlife Action Plan in the Central Piedmont Plains of New Jersey. As recognized in the State Wildlife Action Plan, the agricultural portions of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties have historically provided critical and exemplary habitat for grassland bird species. The region encompassed by the RPWHP accounts for nearly 9% of the best remaining grasslands in the State (NJDEP Landscape Project Analysis 2006). At the same time, over the past 10 years, Hunterdon and Somerset are two of the three fastest growing counties in New Jersey (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The Raritan-Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership sought to find ways to reverse the loss of habitat and declining bird populations through the development of a Grassland Conservation Plan.
The Grassland Conservation Plan is a scientifically-based, spatially explicit strategy to restore and conserve grassland bird habitat in the Central Piedmont Plains.The Plan was developed under the leadership of New Jersey Audubon Society with technical support by several public and private conservation organizations. As detailed in the Grasslands Conservation Plan, RPWHP has identified four priority strategies to help accelerate the conservation of wildlife habitat in the Central Piedmont Plains in accordance with the provisions of the SWAP. These strategies include:
Acquisition of fee simple interests or conservation easements in key parcels; Restoration of grassland areas on priority parcels of land which have already been permanently protected and which are now managed by a public agency or a non-profit conservation organization;
Enhancement of key grasslands parcels in private ownership through means of a proactive private lands stewardship and outreach program; and Maximization of private landowner participation in the existing federal and state landowner incentive program by creating and testing an innovative temporary revolving loan program which will help willing landowners to fund habitat restoration projects pending reimbursement from these public programs.	Upcoming Events Join a RPWHP partner to learn more about grassland conservation. Click the link(s) below to learn more. New Jersey Audubon's Franklin Township Walks

GRANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligibility for grant funding to help implement the Grassland Conservation Plan is limited to non-profit organizations whose mission includes the management of land. Additionally;

Properties for restoration must be permanently protected lands which are owned by public agencies or non-profit organizations.

Funds can be used for grassland restoration projects and any costs associated with such projects including items which are only partially reimbursable through existing public funding sources.

Preference will be given to tracts identified as “Priority Parcels” in the Grassland Conservation Plan.

The degree of leverage provided to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Funds by other private and public funding sources.

Grantees will have to demonstrate an adequate mechanism to fund the appropriate and long-term management of the restoration project for the benefit of grassland bird species.