Minnesota's Landowner Incentive Program

United States Fish and Wildlife Service lofo.

LIP is a grant program administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and implemented through state natural resource agencies. Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources, implements LIP in MN.

LIP provides technical and financial assistance to eligible, private landowners within LIP project areas, who are interested in enhancing habitat on their land for target species. Target species are:

Plants and animals identified under state or federal endangered species laws as endangered, threatened or of special concern (listed species) and non-listed animal species with declining or vulnerable populations (Species In Greatest Conservation Need).

LIP is a voluntary, incentive-based program. LIP is not a land acquisition program and fee-title acquisition is not an eligible use of LIP funds

Types of assistance available to eligible landowners

  • Technical assistance with the development of habitat management/stewardship plans.
  • Assistance with the implementation of habitat enhancement projects.
  • Financial assistance grants (landowner reimbursement payments) for implementing LIP approved habitat projects.

LIP’s eligibility requirements

The following requirements apply to all LIP project areas. Please see the project area maps (below) for information specific to your LIP area.

  • You must be a private landowner. Organizations working with private landowners can apply on behalf of the landowner(s).
  • Your proposed project will enhance habitat for bluff prairie species within the target area (see map).
  • The land upon which you wish to implement your LIP project contains a native plant community or remnant.
  • A stewardship or management plan exists for the site where the proposed habitat project is located. LIP staff can assist eligible landowners with plan development.
  • Your project site is enrolled in a conservation easement program or you are willing to sign a landowner agreement and agree to maintain the LIP-funded habitat project for an agreed upon length of time.

LIP is a competitive program and applications for habitat projects are evaluated and selected based on program criteria and available funding. The following criteria are used to evaluated and prioritized landowner applications:

  • The number and population size of target species on or adjacent to the project site that could benefit from the proposed project
  • The number and population size of target species in the vicinity of the project site
  • The site's habitat function, such as breeding area, dispersal corridor, etc
  • The potential consequences to target species of not implementing the project
  • The project's location in relation to high quality natural areas, public lands (parks, scientific and natural areas, wildlife management areas, aquatic management areas, nature preserves), or other LIP project sites
  • The overall cost of the project, the landowner's contribution, and the project life span
  • The ability of staff or landowner’s to implement the project

LIP Project Area: Please contact the LIP staff for more information.

Map showing LIP eligible lands for timber rattlesnake and bluff prairie species at risk.

Timber Rattlesnake,
Bluff Prairie