The annual application period for FWP’s Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) will open Sept. 1. WHIP is a grant funding program that focuses on large-scale restoration of high-priority wildlife habitats, on private and public land, through noxious weed management. Grant expenditures include herbicide, biocontrol and mechanical treatments, restoration seedings and grazing improvements. Awarded grants can be structured to provide funding for up to five years. Total available funding is $2 million annually; no single grant request can exceed this amount.

Grant awards are based on eligibility and competitive ranking. To qualify for funding, projects must:

• enhance ecologically important wildlife habitat through management of noxious weeds

• use a landscape-scale approach

• have a reasonable probability of treatment effectiveness

• include a minimum 25 percent non-federal cash match

In addition to considering eligibility factors, ranking criteria includes:

• number of funding partners and amount of contributions

• number of landowners involved

• accessibility of participating lands for public hunting

The WHIP program for 2024 includes two new features:

• Up to 10 percent of total project dollars can be used for grant administration, vegetation monitoring, and related administrative costs.

• Additional weed treatment methods, such as soil amendments, may be proposed by applicants and considered for funding by the WHIP Advisory Council.

WHIP is accepting grant applications online through WebGrants. Starting Sept. 1, grant applicants can go to funding.mt.gov and find the “FWP Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program Grant Cycle 2025” funding opportunity. Applicants new to WebGrants must register prior to accessing the application forms. WHIP applications must be submitted no later than Nov. 27 to be considered for funding in 2025.

For more information about the WHIP Program and grant application instructions, visit the WHIP webpage. If you have questions about applying for a WHIP grant or accessing the application forms, contact Andrew Amidon, WHIP coordinator, at andrew.amidon@mt.gov or 406-444-7291.