Remote Sensing to Help Wetlands Reserve Program Managers

The Resources Inventory and Assessment Division (RIAD) and the Remote Sensing Laboratories (RSL) are working with the Easement Programs Division (EPD) to leverage the investments NRCS has made in technology and training at the RSL.  RIAD and the RSL are currently working with EPD to use remote sensing to help States monitor maintenance and program compliance needs of Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easements.

State WRP Specialists must monitor easements on a regular basis to ensure compliance with WRP guidelines. The RIAD, RSL, and EPD pilot project is underway to monitor more than 3,000 WRP easements in 17 States for the 2007 growing season. Photography for the easements is currently being acquired and the requirements for data collection instruments are being developed. Staff at the RSL will interpret aerial photos of the easement areas and provide the results to the State WRP Specialists. Easements with no maintenance needs or compliance issues will not require an immediate site visit. However, maintenance needs or potential violations identified on the photos can be used by States to set priorities and schedule site visits to perform maintenance or address compliance issues. In addition to remote sensing, new technologies are also being developed to assist States with their on-site WRP monitoring activities.
Your contact is Jerry Harlow, NRCS National Resources Inventory Resources Collection Leader, at 301-504-2328.