NRCS Can Help Farmers Restore Wetland Habitat

Maryland Media Liaison:

Carol Hollingsworth, 443-482-2902

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 7, 2006) --- “Farmers and landowners interested in restoring or enhancing wetland habitat should immediately contact their local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), said Virginia (Ginger) L. Murphy, NRCS State Conservationist.

NRCS Maryland received $648,260 in financial assistance funds to assist Maryland’s farmers and landowners through the Farm Bill’s Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). "WRP is an important conservation program because it restores wetland habitat that was lost due to intensive farming and urbanization," added Murphy.

Farmers and landowners interested in filing an application for funding consideration or learning more about WRP should contact their county’s NRCS office or Soil Conservation District office located at the USDA Service Center before March 14, 2006. Applications will be ranked according to criteria that will determine which proposals offer the most environmental benefits at the lowest cost.

"Maryland has enjoyed tremendous success during our previous enrollment periods by assisting landowners in installing wetland conservation practices," said Mark Rose, NRCS Maryland Assistant State Conservationist for Programs and the NRCS Maryland WRP Program Manager. “In last year’s enrollment, we provided almost $700,000 in cost-share funds to farmers that allowed us to secure conservation easements on more than 300 wetland acres on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.” Since 1999, NRCS Maryland has enrolled over 3,000 acres into WRP.

Participants in WRP voluntarily limit future use of the land, but retain private ownership. Landowners benefit by receiving financial and technical assistance in return for protecting wetlands, reducing problems associated with farming potentially wet and difficult areas, and developing wildlife and recreational opportunities on their land.

Wetlands benefit the Nation by providing fish and wildlife habitat; improving water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals; reducing flooding; recharging groundwater; protecting biological diversity; as well as providing opportunities for educational, scientific, and recreational activities.

The WRP offers three enrollment options:

1. Permanent Easement -- This is a conservation easement in perpetuity. 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, USDA pays 100 percent of the costs of restoring the wetland.
    
2. 30-Year Easement -- Easement payments through this option are 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. USDA also pays 75 percent of restoration costs.
   
   For both permanent and 30-year easements, USDA pays all costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office, including recording fees, charges for abstracts, survey and appraisal fees, and title insurance.
    
3. Restoration Cost-Share Agreement -- This is an agreement (generally for a minimum of 10 years) to re-establish degraded or lost wetland habitat. USDA pays 75 percent of the cost of the restoration activity. This enrollment option does not place an easement on the property.

“NRCS and its partners continue to provide assistance to landowners after completion of restoration activities,” said Rose. “This assistance may be in the form of reviewing restoration measures, clarifying technical and administrative aspects of the easement and project management needs, and providing basic biological and engineering advice on how to achieve optimum results for wetland dependent species.”

NRCS is USDA’s lead conservation agency and has worked hand-in-hand with farmers and landowners for 71 years to conserve natural resources on private lands. Maryland’s landowners can learn more about conserving natural resources by contacting NRCS Maryland through USDA Service Centers or by visiting the NRCS Maryland homepage at www.md.nrcs.usda.gov.