Gee���. B-ski, I don�t know if I could add much more.
I might add some of the pros and cons of working with the government.
Pros
� Possible funding assistance to 75% of project average cost (sometimes lower)
� You might get some good ideas and advice
� Your project may be completed quicker, rather than trying to do it all yourself over an extended time
Cons
� Dealing with a government bureaucracy
� You are now in the government system and NOT anonymous
� You will pay some taxes on the funds received. (It is taxable income)
I have on occasion heard of cost / share dollars being referred to as welfare.
Couldn�t be further from the truth! Conservation type dollars are many times used to spur or jump start the economy. Federal, State, County and local economies reap the rewards of conservation dollars through increased revenues from taxes, employment, fuel, equipment, etc. etc. Usually a win-win situation. I do know that some economists have calculated the benefit to cost ratio of Conservation Programs as high as 4:1!
I have personally participated in the WHIP Program (one time).
We built one of our ponds, fencing and tree plantings using WHIP to the tune of about $11,000. When you pay the dirt Contractor for his labor, fuel and machinery, local farm ranch store for fencing materials, Conservation District for trees and planting labor you can see that sometimes suppressed local farm/ranch economies can benefit. One dollar may turn over several times.
You might also note the third letter in the WHIP acronym. �I� stands for incentive��.The Program is supposed to spur your interest in natural resources conservation, now and into the future with or without government incentives.
Yes it is a laborious, drawn out procedure to acquire or attempt to acquire government cost share assistance dollars. You will have to weigh that decision on your own.
Good luck!
Ed
