From the February 16, 1994 edition of The New Castle Record
Starting Feb. 23, the Craig County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) will open for signup for the second Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Intentions will be accepted through March 11, according to ASCS official Fryda Powell.
The WRP offers landowners a chance to receive payments for restoring and protecting wetlands on their property. It provides a unique opportunity for farmers to retire certain cropland and reap the many benefits of having wetlands on their property.
In 1992 the first WRP was held in nine states with a maximum enrollment of 50,000 acres set for the pilot WRP. USDA accepted 49,888 acres from 265 farms. The 1994 program as expanded to include 20 states with a maximum enrollment of 75,000 acres.
The program protects and restores habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, helps purify water supplies, and helps absorb flood waters, Powell said.
Under WRP, permanent easements are purchased from participating landowners of farmed wetlands; prior converted croplands; lands substantially altered by natural floodwaters; and riparian areas that link wetlands. ASCS will pay landowners for the acreage covered by the easement, plus up to 75 percent of any needed restoration costs to ensure wetland conditions prevail. Specified compatible uses as identified by USDA’s Soil Conservation Service and Department of Fish and Wildlife Service are permitted on the restored acreage by the landowner and any successors.
Acceptance in the WRP is based on eligible owners providing an acceptable easement deed on land not subject to other prior security interests, and in most instances the contact value must be verified by an official appraisal.
Enrollment in the 1994 WRP is authorized in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Through WRP, USDA plans to restore and protect 975,000 acres by 2000.
Interested landowners should contact the Craig County ASCS office for more information on the WRP.
– Prepared by Shelly Koon