Landowner Incentive Program (LIP)

The Texas Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is a collaborative effort between TPWD Wildlife and Inland Fisheries Divisions to meet the needs of private landowners wishing to enact good conservation practices on their lands for the benefit of healthy terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Many partnerships and funding sources external to TPWD help to make this program possible. Check out the latest LIP News Bulletin(PDF 3.4 MB) to see some of the new avenues the program is taking and some exciting landowner success stories.

Landowner Incentive Program Information Card (PDF 780 KB)

Questions should be directed to Arlene Kalmbach (LIP Coordinator), your local TPWD wildlife biologist, and/or any of the additional contacts provided in the following funding series descriptions.

The Texas LIP currently offers the following funding options:

The Texas Watershed Funding Series

• USFWS Community Riparian Enhancement is dedicated to developing partnerships to conserve all habitats essential to environmentally and economically healthy watersheds that benefit the natural resources of Texas. This is a cooperative effort between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and both the Wildlife and Inland Fisheries Divisions of TPWD. For the 2011/2012 fiscal year this funding is specifically available to landowners located in Real, Bandera, Uvalde, Medina, Edwards, Kimble and Mason Counties for the benefit of the Nueces, Frio, Sabinal and Llano rivers and tributaries (anyone in the watershed is eligible, not just riparian adjacent properties) and landowners in Brewster and Presidio Counties for the benefit of Terlingua and Alamito Creek watersheds. This allocation of LIP funding is made possible through a cooperative agreement with the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. All projects approved for funding are thereby subject to the terms and conditions of that Cooperative Agreement. Contracts are being managed as traditional LIP contracts (minimum of 25% landowner contribution, reimbursement process, etc.) Additional contact person for this funding series is Gary P. Garrett, Ph.D., Fisheries Biologist/Program Director - Watershed Policy and Management, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 830-866-3356 (ext. 212). Watershed Funding Proposal Template(Word 413 KB).

• The Llano Watershed/Texas Guadalupe Bass Restoration Initiative - LIP Funding Series is dedicated to conservation actions that positively impact the Llano Watershed thereby protecting Guadalupe bass populations and their habitat by developing networks of willing landowners interested in implementing coordinated landscape conservation actions at watershed-scales. Property does not have to include a riparian area to be considered. Many forms of conservation land stewardship will qualify. Conservation actions implemented by private landowners will promote functional riparian and stream systems, and emphasize the conservation of native fish communities and supporting habitats. The networks will attempt to reduce or eliminate activities on the landscape that degrade water quality, reduce water quantity, degrade riparian systems, favor non-native species, or fragment stream systems, while encouraging a wide array of sustainable land-use activities that are compatible with aquatic resource conservation.

  For the 2010/2011 fiscal year this funding is specifically available to landowners located within the north and south fork reaches of the Llano River watershed (property does not have to include a riparian area to be considered). This allocation of LIP funding is made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Southeastern U.S. Native Black Bass Keystone Initiative(PDF 195.6 KB)as well as partnerships with Anheuser Busch, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Passage Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish and Restoration Program, etc. All projects approved for funding are thereby subject to the terms and conditions of that grant. Priority will be given to applications with 50:50 cost share but all applications will be reviewed. Additional contact person for this funding series is Gary P. Garrett, Ph.D., Fisheries Biologist/Program Director - Watershed Policy & Management, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 830-866-3356 (ext. 212). Watershed Funding Proposal Template(Word 413 KB).

• James River Watershed Restoration - LIP Funding Series is dedicated to conservation actions that positively impact the James River Watershed by developing networks of willing landowners interested in implementing coordinated landscape conservation actions at watershed-scales. Property does not have to include a riparian area to be considered. Many forms of conservation land stewardship will qualify. Conservation actions implemented by private landowners will promote functional riparian and stream systems, and emphasize the conservation of native fish communities and supporting habitats. The networks will attempt to reduce or eliminate activities on the landscape that degrade water quality, reduce water quantity, degrade riparian systems, favor non-native species, or fragment stream systems, while encouraging a wide array of sustainable land-use activities that are compatible with aquatic resource conservation. Priority will be given to applications with 50:50 cost share but all applications will be reviewed. Watershed Funding Proposal Template(Word 413 KB).

The Texas Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GPLCC) LIP Funding Series is dedicated to on-the-ground conservation work on private lands in an effort to reduce the potential effects of climate change on terrestrial and migratory species in the Texas Panhandle portion of the GPLCC. This allocation of LIP funding is made possible through a cooperative agreement with the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. All projects approved for funding are thereby subject to the terms and conditions of that Cooperative Agreement. Additional contact person for this funding series is Charles Coffman, Landscape Conservation Coordinator, 806-742-4738. This funding source is using the standard LIP application(Word 2.8 MB) and contracts will be managed as traditional LIP contracts (minimum of 25% landowner contribution, reimbursement process, etc.).

Traditional LIP Funding Series is designed to meet the needs of private landowners wishing to enact good conservation practices on their lands in any Texas County. This funding series is focused on projects aimed at creating, restoring, protecting and enhancing habitat for rare or at-risk-species throughout the state. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines at-risk species as any species identified as a "species of greatest conservation need" (high priority) in a state’s Wildlife Action Plan (Texas Conservation Action Plan). Rare species include those species that are federally or state listed as threatened or endangered or federal Ccndidate species not currently on the federal list. Contact the LIP Coordinator for the LIP Priority Plant Species list. This funding source is using the standard LIP application(Word 2.8 MB) and contracts will be managed as traditional LIP contracts (minimum of 25% landowner contribution, reimbursement process, etc.).

How do I get involved with the Landowner Incentive Program?

The first step is to contact your local TPWD office and establish a relationship with a staff biologist who will help you with an ecological assessment of your land and review your goals and provide you with technical guidance and information regarding the various incentive and assistance programs available. If together you decide that the LIP program is your best fit, your TPWD biologist will assist you to prepare and submit an application packet.

What are some criteria for applying?

• Meet the specific requirements of your targeted LIP funding series.
• The results of the proposed action(s) must be measurable. Therefore, the landowner must agree to allow biologists onto their property for a pre-agreement survey and periodic progress checks to assess the success of the project objectives. Priority is also given to those projects where long term species monitoring is implemented.
• The landowner must be willing to sign a project agreement or management plan. Each agreement or management plan will be designed to meet the landowner's individual conservation and land use needs and objectives. Name, address, and taxpayer identification or social security number will be required for accounting purposes; but, any other recording of information specific to the property is confidential by state law and not released without written permission from the landowner. Inability to complete management actions due to weather or other conditions beyond the landowner's control will be considered individually and rescheduled.

How will proposals be selected?

The LIP is a competitive grant program. Applications are received on a rolling basis and are reviewed and ranked according to the ranking criteria specific to the funding series as well as reviewed by TPWD diversity biologists, fisheries staff and in some cases the LIP Advisory Committee. The committee consists of private landowners and representatives of natural resource agencies and conservation organizations. The primary selection criteria will be based on the extent to which the action achieves the goals of the targeted funding series balanced against the cost effectiveness of the proposed action. Applicants not selected will be eligible to reapply. Successful applicants will be notified and arrangements will be made to develop terms of the agreement. As the LIP utilizes federal funds a Cultural Resource Clearance and Section 7 (Endangered Species Act) review may be necessary depending on the proposed project activities.

What type of project is eligible for funding?

TPWD encourages effective and efficient conservation projects. Funds can be used for projects such as habitat enhancement (restoring native vegetation, prescribed burns, selective brush management, grazing management systems, etc.) or habitat protection (protecting ecologically sensitive areas, fencing livestock out of riparian areas, etc.). Other actions not listed here that will accomplish conservation goals at reasonable cost are encouraged and will be considered.

What are the funding limitations?

LIP is a cost share program. Depending on the funding series targeted TPWD will contribute between 50% and 75% of a total project cost, while the applicant is expected to contribute at least 50% to 25% (materials or in-kind services are acceptable match). LIP is a reimbursement program, so landowners receive payment upon completion of planned practices and submission of valid invoices (both for reimbursement and for match credit). Receipt of payment will be contingent on the landowner's fulfillment of the agreement and completion of the project. Landowners are expected to work with their TPWD biologist to document final results of the project. Requests for reimbursement must be submitted by the TPWD biologist working on the project.

Annual program funding varies according to availability of LIP funds.

Applications and/or proposals must be filled out by a TPWD biologist who will work on the project. Please contact your local TPWD wildlife biologist (LIP contact) for more information.