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WHIP Ranking Tool FY 2007

Efficiency Score – 5% of score

Cost Efficiency Score equals the Sum of (each conservation practice’s physical effects times its practice service life) divided by the Sum of (all practice average annual costs identified as addressing resource concerns) times the cost efficiency multiplier (which is based on the percentage of points assigned to this portion of the ranking score).

National Priorities – 5% of score

  1. Will the treatment you intend to implement using WHIP result in the restoration of declining or important native wildlife habitats? 150 points
  2. Will the treatment you intend to implement using WHIP result in the protection, restoration, development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for at-risk species which can include candidate species and State listed threatened and endangered species? 150 points
  3. Will the treatment you intend to implement using WHIP result in the protection, restoration, development or enhancement of wildlife habitat for Federally listed threatened and endangered wildlife species? 400 points
  4. Will the treatment you intend to implement using WHIP result in the reduction of invasive species on wildlife habitats? 150 points
  5. Will the treatment you intend to implement using WHIP result in the protection, restoration, development or enhancement of declining or important aquatic wildlife species’ habitats? 150 points

State Issues – 70% of score

    General
  1. Will this be the applicant’s first WHIP contract? 42 points
  2. Does the applicant have a completed or current WHIP contract in full compliance in which all practices have been performed on schedule? 21 points
  3. Is this application a multi-landuser cooperative agreement where all applicants have the same wildlife concern(s) on adjacent acreage OR does this application contain prescribed burning on longleaf pine or native grasses planted under another cost-share program within the last 5 years? 339 points
  4. Will 50% or more of the FSA tract acres be treated? If the answer to this question is "Yes", the answers to questions 5 and 6 will be "No." 169 points
  5. Will 25% to 49% of the FSA tract acres be treated? If the answer to this question is  "Yes", the answers to questions 4 and 6 will be "No." 84 points
  6. Will 10% to 24% of the FSA tract acres be treated? If the answer to this question is  "Yes", the answers to questions 4 and 5 will be "No." 4 points
  7. Will the applicant be planting trees or shrubs on the majority (> 51%) of treated acres? If the answer to this question is "Yes", the answers to question 8 will be "No." 42 points
  8. Will the applicant be applying timber stand improvement practices, other than fire, on the majority (> 51%) of treated acres? If the answer to this question is "Yes", the answers to question 7 will be "No." 21 points
  9. Does applicant have proof of providing some form of forest/wildlife land education in the past with plans to continue? (Education can be in the form of landowner tours, school field trips, or 4-H, but not family related activities) 169 points
  10. Is there a population of federally listed threatened or endangered species confirmed on property or adjacent protected property and beneficial practices are planned? If answer to this question is  "Yes", then answer to 11 will be   "No." 339 points
  11. Is there a population of federally listed threatened or endangered species confirmed in the county and beneficial practices are planned? If the answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 10 will be "No." 84 points
  12. Will the applicant restore one or more native habitat systems such as pitcher plant bogs, bald cypress swamps, or upper coastal plain/piedmont/ridge&valley/Appalachian plateau longleaf pine habitat, cave/sinkhole systems, or limestone/sandstone glades? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 13 will be "No." 169 points
  13. Will the applicant restore one or more native habitat systems such as lower coastal plain longleaf pine, bottomland hardwoods, or native grass prairie habitats? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 12 will be "No." 84 points
  14. Is applicant willing to implement practices on small, incidental acres? Practices include planting native grasses, planting native shrubs/small trees, strip disking, hedgerow planting, control introduced grasses such as Bermuda/bahia/fescue or installing wood duck boxes. 10 points
     
    Early Successional Habitat
  15. Will the applicant treat more than 12% of cropland acres OR 66% or more of fallow fields or cut-over areas with stripdisking/prescribed fire/native grass planting? Note: Cutover areas and bermuda/bahia/fescue areas must be treated with herbicides. If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to question 16 and 17 will be "No." 400 points
  16. Will the applicant treat 8% to 12% of cropland acres OR from 34% to 65% of fallow fields or cut-over areas with stripdisking/prescribed fire/native grass planting? Note: Cutover areas and bermuda/bahia/fescue areas must be treated with herbicides. If answer to this question is Yes", then answer to question 15 and 17 will be "No." 300 points
  17. Will the applicant treat 4% to 8% of fallow/cropland acres OR from 10% to 33% of fallow fields or cut-over areas with stripdisking/prescribed fire/native grass planting? Note: Cutover areas and bermuda/bahia/fescue areas must be treated with herbicides. If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to question 15 and 16 will be "No." 200 points
    Woodland – Wildlife Habitat
  18. Is applicant willing to apply, on 66% or more of the treatment area, prescribed fire on open pine woodland, precommercial thin pine timber/remove understory hardwoods and apply prescribed fire, or precommercially thin mast producing hardwoods? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to questions 19 and 20 will be "No." 300 points
  19. Is applicant willing to apply, on 34% to 65% of the treatment area, prescribed fire on open pine woodland, precommercial thin pine timber/remove understory hardwoods and apply prescribed fire, or precommercially thin mast producing hardwoods? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to questions 18 and 20 will be "No." 200 points
  20. Is applicant willing to apply, on 10% to 33% of the treatment area, prescribed fire on open pine woodland, precommercial thin pine timber/remove understory hardwoods and apply prescribed fire, or precommercially thin mast producing hardwoods? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to questions 18 and19 will be "No." 100 points
  21. Is applicant willing to create openings on from 2.5% to 5% of FSA tract? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 22 will be "No." 100 points
  22. Is applicant willing to create openings less than 2.5% of FSA tract? If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 21 will be "No." 50 points
    Longleaf or Hardwood Habitat
  23. Is applicant willing to plant longleaf pine or native mast producing hardwoods on 66% or more of the treatment area? (As burning is mandatory for longleaf, additional points should NOT be given for burning same acres under woodland wildlife.) If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 24 and 25 will be "No." 300 points
  24. Is applicant willing to plant longleaf pine or native mast producing hardwoods on 34% to 65% or more of the treatment area? (As burning is mandatory for longleaf, additional points should NOT be given for burning same acres under woodland wildlife.) If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 23 and 25 will be "No." 200 points
  25. Is applicant willing to plant longleaf pine or native mast producing hardwoods on 10% to 33% of the treatment area? (As burning is mandatory for longleaf, additional points should NOT be given for burning same acres under woodland wildlife.) If answer to this question is "Yes", then answer to 23 and 24 will be "No." 100 points
  26. Will applicant be creating waterfowl habitat or restoring wetlands? 200 points

Local Issues – 20% of score

Answer only one of the following questions "Yes."

  1. Does this application address the county’s number one priority? 100 points
  2. Does this application address the county’s number two priority? 80 points
  3. Does this application address the county’s number three priority? 60 points
  4. Does this application address the county’s number four priority? 40 points
  5. Does this application address the county’s number five priority? 20 points

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