The Habitat Areas Program

Program Objectives

The purpose of the Habitat Areas Program is to protect, restore, and enhance wildlife habitat in Wisconsin in order to expand opportunities for wildlife-based recreation such as hunting, bird watching, fishing, nature appreciation, and viewing of game and non-game species. The goals of the program are achieved through the use of easements, land acquisition, and habitat restoration.

Grant Criteria

Habitat Areas grants are available to NCOs and conservation organizations to purchase land or acquire easements on land that furthers the objectives of the program. Priority is given to projects that have one or more of the following characteristics:

• Projects that protect, enhance, or restore ecologically significant plant and wildlife communities, biological diversity, unique or outstanding ecosystems, or rare wildlife and plant species
• Sites identified as regionally important for wildlife and plants in a comprehensive plan or the Natural Heritage Inventory

Projects not eligible to receive grants include:

• Property containing or planned to contain buildings or other facilities designed for intensive recreational use—such as playgrounds, roads, picnic areas, boating and camping facilities, playing fields or shelters—unless the facility occupies only a small portion of the property and the DNR determines it does not diminish the property’s wildlife habitat value
• Timber plantations
• Property intended for agricultural use