A private matter

Preservation efforts focus on private land
[New York] A new program being launched by the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is designed to preserve imperiled habitat on private land like this, although Morgan, who’s coordinating the program, says it’s unlikely to help when a landowner is intent on selling to developers, as this one is. The state program is funded by a $600,000 grant from the federal Landowner Incentive Program, initiated in 2002 by the Bush administration and overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In exchange for a five-year commitment to preserve the habitat, landowners will be paid $55 to $60 per acre and given a customized land-management plan. Landowners who aren’t chosen to receive reimbursements still can receive guidance on how to enhance their land for wildlife. “The financial incentive can help influence a landowner who’s already leaning toward conservation,” Morgan said. “But it probably won’t help when a landowner is just looking to cash out and get off the farm.”

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org