The Greater Wabash River Research & Development Council, Inc. has been awarded grant funding for financial assistance removing invasive species within the Wildcat Watershed which encompasses land within Carroll, Clinton, Howard, Tippecanoe, and Tipton Counties. Grant funds will be distributed through Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The grant focuses on the removal of invasive species covered under NRCS practice 314 Brush Management, which includes: Bush Honeysuckle, Multiflora Rose, Autumn Olive, Tree of Heaven, Glossy Buckthorn, and Periwinkle in forestland or grassland. Although half of the funds have been appropriated, there is still financial assistance available to eligible landowners. Applications are ranked according to their proximity and resource concern to Wildcat Creek and its tributaries. If an application becomes funded, financial assistance is distributed over a three year contract and acreage is determined by the percentage of invasive species present within the larger woods.

The NRCS 314 Brush Management Practice is carried within the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). Removing invasive species and continual maintenance will allow native species to regenerate and create a healthy forest ecosystem. Grant funding from the Mississippi River Basin Initiative has also been procured for wildlife habitat establishment. Financial assistance is available for WHIP practices such as tree & shrub establishment, wetland creation, enhancement, or restoration, and native grass plantings. Financial assistance varies and is scheduled by practice. Although this funding is limited to the watersheds encompassing the Middle and South Fork of Wildcat Creek, Brush Management and other Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program practices are federally funded and available throughout the state. Regardless of whether your property is located within this highlighted watershed, if you are interested in either invasive species removal or wildlife habitat establishment, please contact your local Soil & Water Conservation District for more information. www.iaswcd.org/pdfs/IndianaSWCDoffices2011.pdf provides contact information for each SWCD in Indiana.