Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program supports Oklahoma landowners with cost-sharing and technical assistance for habitat protection, planting, timber, and wetland work to improve lasting wildlife habitat.
Funder: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Due Dates: December 31, 2026 (Annual application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $4,500 per participant per year in reimbursement; 1-year project contract
Summary: Cost-sharing and technical assistance help Oklahoma landowners restore, enhance, and maintain lasting wildlife habitat on private property.
Key Information: Completed habitat improvements must be maintained for 10 years.
Description
The Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP), administered by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), helps private landowners develop, preserve, restore, enhance, and manage wildlife habitat in Oklahoma. The program combines technical assistance from Private Lands Biologists with partial reimbursement for completed habitat improvements. Biologists discuss landowner objectives, evaluate properties, develop habitat improvement plans, and inspect completed work.
Supported work includes habitat protection, permanent native vegetation planting, timber management, wetland enhancement, and management of undesirable vegetation. Examples include timber thinning, small openings in timber stands, cedar removal, firebreaks, native tree or shrub planting, and small wetland creation. Primary wildlife beneficiaries include deer, turkey, quail, pheasant, prairie chickens, dove, and waterfowl. Other wildlife, including threatened and endangered species and Species of Special Concern, also benefit.
