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WETLANDS REMAIN VERY POPULAR WITH LANDOWNERS
Posted:6/7/2006 3:05:49 PM
Over the past 15 years, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners have helped restore 133,000 acres of wetlands in Iowa. According to Marty Adkins, NRCS' Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources in Iowa, this popularity continues today.
"Currently, NRCS has a backlog of over 300 applications where land owners want to restore wetlands. Getting that work done will add 28,000 acres of additional wetlands to the state."
Adkins says wetlands offer many benefits. "Wetlands enrich the environment and benefit people. They clean water by providing natural pollution control, reduce flooding and soil erosion, and supply habitat for wildlife." Adkins adds, "Wetlands are places many animals and birds build nests and raise their young. Birds use wetlands as rest stops when migrating."
Two federal programs that are available to landowners to restore wetlands are the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) administered by NRCS.
CRP funds may be used to restore the functions and values of the wetlands which have been farmed. It can also put a buffer around the wetlands to keep sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from impacting the wetland and wildlife habitat.
WRP is a voluntary program that offers payment, based on agricultural value, for restoring wetlands that previously have been drained and converted to agricultural uses. WRP pays up to 100 percent reimbursement for restoration costs and allows landowners to retain ownership of their land.
In 2002, landowners Bill Moreau and Bill Beardsley of Estherville asked for help with a conservation plan on 160 acres they own in eastern Dickinson County. After examining their options, they restored the land to wetlands, native grasses and wildflowers using CRP, WRP and an Iowa DNR program called the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP).
"There isn't a landowner in Iowa who can be happier than I am with the Wetlands Reserve Program," said Moreau. "The WRP was the perfect program to help us restore this area the way we wanted."
According to Adkins, now is the perfect time to visit wetlands. He says they are teeming with new animals and plant life.
To learn more about wetlands and their benefits, visit your local USDA Service Center or go to www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov.
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