WHIP applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on November 23, 2022.

The 2017 Montana Legislature passed House Bill 434, which established the Montana Wildlife Habitat Improvement Act. The Act authorizes up to $2M of federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funding to be distributed through the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) for conducting restoration work on ecologically important wildlife habitats through weed management activities. This includes herbicide, biocontrol, and mechanical treatments, restoration seedings, and grazing improvements as part of an integrated noxious weed management plan. Specific expenditures are limited to herbicides and additives, biological control agents, materials required for restoration seeding or prescribed grazing management, and associated treatment and installation services. Administration or overhead costs are not applicable.

WHIP is a 75:25 grant program, which means each dollar of matching cash can leverage three dollars of grant funds. All cash match must be a non-federal source and signed contribution statements from the participating partners are required as part of the application. 

The Environmental Assessment (EA) does not need to be completed with the grant application. Applicants will be required to complete an EA after the funding recommendations have been approved by the Director of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

IMPORTANT: For more detailed information about Grant Application Instructions, WHIP Terminology, WHIP Grant Application Scoring Criteria, and Q&A about WHIP, see the ‘WHIP Grant Application Instructions’ document in the "Attachments" section below.