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NRCS Can Restore and Protect Flood-Prone Lands in MarylandMaryland Media Liaison: ANNAPOLIS, MD - March 9, 2009 - The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Maryland announced today that conservation funding is available to eligible landowners nationwide through the floodplain easement component of its Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. The funds will be used nationwide to restore an estimated 60,000 acres of frequently flooded land to its natural state and create jobs. Eligible landowners can sign up for these easements from March 9 – 27, 2009 at their local NRCS Office located in USDA Service Centers in each Maryland County. Applicants can find a list of USDA Service Centers at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov, click on Contact Us, Find A Service Center. Farmers who place flood-prone land into EWP easements can convert environmentally sensitive lands into riparian corridors and wooded bottomlands that are so vital for fish and wildlife habitat and to mitigate downstream flooding. Trees and native grasses will be planted in the easement area and the hydrology of the floodplain will be restored. Funding for this conservation program was obtained from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and includes both technical and financial assistance to restore the easements. All funds will be spent on targeted projects that can be completed with economic stimulus monies. The goal is to have all floodplain easements acquired and restored within 12-18 months. The EWP Program’s floodplain easement component allows USDA’s NRCS to purchase easements on lands damaged by flooding. The restored floodplain will generate many public benefits, such as increased flood protection, enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality, and a reduced need for future public disaster assistance. Other benefits include reduced energy consumption when certain agricultural activities and practices are eliminated and increased carbon sequestration as permanent vegetative cover is re-established. Interested landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center for more information about the EWP Program floodplain easements during the signup period, which ends on March 27, 2009. Information about EWP Program floodplain easement is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html. |
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