The Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)
| The Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to restore, enhance and protect wetlands. Landowners have three options of enrolling their eligible lands, first through a permanent easement, second a 30-year easement, or third with a restoration cost-share agreement. The WRP is offered on a continuous sign-up basis and presents landowners an opportunity to establish long term conservation and wildlife habitat practices and protection. |
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Enrollment Options: |
| 1. Permanent Easement: Easement payments for this option equal the lowest of three amounts: the agricultural value of the land, an established payment cap, or an amount offered by the landowner. In addition to paying for the easement, the USDA pays 100% of the costs of restoring the wetland. |
| 2. 30-Year Easement: Easement payments through this option are 75% of what would be paid for a permanent easement. USDA also pays 75% of restoration costs. |
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* For
both permanent and 30-year easements, USDA will pay all costs |
| 3. Restoration Cost-share Agreement: This agreement is generally for a minimum of 10 years to restore degraded or lost wetland habitat. The program will pay 75% of the cost of the restoration. This enrollment option does not place an easement on the property. |
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To be eligible for WRP: |
| The landowner must have owned the land for at least 12 months prior to enrolling unless the land was inherited and show evidence of ownership. |
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The land must be restorable and suitable for wildlife benefits, which includes: |
| • Wetlands farmed under natural conditions |
| • Farmed wetlands |
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• Prior converted cropland |
| • Farmed wetland pasture |
| • Farmland that has become a wetland due to flooding |
| • Range land, pasture or production forest where the hydrology has been degraded and can be restored |
| • Riparian areas which link protected wetlands |
| • Lands adjacent to protected wetlands that contribute to wetland functions & values |
| • Previously restored wetlands that need long term protection |
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Ineligible lands include: |
| • Wetlands converted after December 23, 1985 |
| • Land with timber stands established through a CRP contract |
| • Federal land |
| • Land where conditions are not suitable for restoration |
| Applications for WRP are accepted through a continuous sign-up process. Applications may be obtained and filed anytime at the USDA, NRCS office. After an application is received, NRCS will determine if the land and landowner is eligible for the program. A site visit is made to collect all data needed for the ranking process. If an application is selected for funding NRCS will work with the landowner to complete the restoration.
For more information,
contact Dave Hines or Bill Lambert at your local NRCS office, 942 W. 15th
Street, Auburn or call at 260-925-5620 ext. 3. You can also visit the USDA’s website for more information
on this and other 2002 Farm Bill programs at:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/products.html
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