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The Official Website of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG)

 
Landowner Incentive Program

Landowner Incentive Program (LIP)

Privately-owned lands provide important fish and wildlife habitat in Massachusetts. Over 80% of the landbase in the Commonwealth is privately owned. Most rare species in Massachusetts are found on privately owned lands. Restoring and maintaining habitat on these lands is essential because so many species depend upon them for survival. Species conservation goals cannot be fully achieved by focusing effort solely on public lands.

GrasslandIn the Commonwealth, many plants, animals and habitat types are in serious decline. Since much of the land in our state is privately owned it is important to protect our natural resources through partnerships with willing landowners.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage Program (NHP) and Ecological Restoration Program (ERP) work to protect priority habitats of rare wildlife such as the New England cottontail, Plymouth Red-belly cooter, Bog turtle, Blue-spotted salamander, Grassland birds and other animals that have seen a decline in their habitat over the years. To address the conservation of fish and wildlife on private lands, Congress allocated funds for a nation-wide Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). These funds were placed under the command of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support State fish and wildlife agencies.

To promote the creation/restoration of high quality wildlife habitat that supports wildlife populations in Massachusetts, funding has been awarded to the state for on-the-ground activities that (1) enhance wildlife habitat and provide benefits for species-at-risk or (2) that meet goals outlined by LIP.

The MassWildlife Landowner Incentive Program is a partnership that provides private landowners interested in developing and maintaining wildlife habitat on their property with financial and technical assistance. State biologists are currently working with private landowners to enhance and protect important habitats across the Commonwealth.

The MassWildlife Landowner Incentive Programs goals are:

  1. Eastern cottontailIdentify and reclaim appropriate sites for management of declining habitats (especially open land: old field and early-successional forest, wetlands, coastal habitat and pine barrens).
  2. Manage and control exotic and invasive plants.
  3. Enhance wildlife habitat for species-at-risk. A species-at-risk is defined for LIP as any fish or wildlife species that is federally or state listed as threatened or endangered, is a candidate for listing as threatened or endangered, or is listed on the NHESP Official State Rare Species List.
  4. Provide technical and financial assistance and guidance to landowners on how to manage their property for wildlife.