Landowner Incentive Program
The Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is a voluntary state program that provides landowners with incentives to help conserve habitat for species-at-risk in the state of Maryland. With funding from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the goal of the program is to provide cost-share assistance to private landowners to protect, enhance, and restore habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species. Each project can be specifically designed to incorporate various management techniques to best suit the landowner’s desires and the wildlife present. Projects can include, but are not limited to, fencing, stream bank stabilization, erosion control, buffer strips, conversion to native grasses, removal of invasive species that threaten the recovery of native species, establishing grazing management plans, and conservation easements. Landowners can get assistance from local and regional biologist on how to best manage the lands for wildlife. In doing so, overall habitat improvements will not only benefit a variety of associated species-at-risk, but also help to improve land quality and sustainability for local residents.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) grew out of increasing recognition that wetlands and lands adjacent to streams (riparian areas) and other water bodies have a tremendous impact on water quality and provide critical wildlife habitat. These important conservation areas can be protected and restored in many ways. Under CREP, landowners contract with USDA through their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) to receive annual rental payments, plus bonuses, for taking land out of production and installing conservation practices adjacent to waterways.