Tennessee Landowners Receive Higher Rates For Enrolling In Conservation Easement Program

Nashville, TN — The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)—an agency of the USDA—has allocated more than $4 Million to Tennessee landowners during the first quarter of FY09 for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). More funding is expected later in the fiscal year. The WRP is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property.

“We’re stepping up the Wetland Reserve Program in Tennessee,” said State Conservationist Kevin Brown. “During the last ten years we enrolled about 22,000 acres in WRP. This year alone our goal is about 7,700 acres. Now is the time for Tennessee landowners concerned about protecting wetlands to take a look at WRP.”

Under the 2008 Farm Bill, eligible landowners will see a significantly higher cost of return than in the past. The 2008 Farm Bill changed the WRP easement compensation process offering landowners the lesser of a fair market value of the land, the geographic rate cap, or the offer of the landowner. This is a substantial opportunity to take advantage of the new geographic rate caps established by county. Rates are posted on the NRCS in Tennessee web page (http://www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov/ Key Word: WRP).

WRP is offered only to private landowners. Applicants must have owned the land for 7 years and meet other requirements of the program before being eligible. Anyone interested can sign up for WRP on a continuous basis, but now is the best time to determine eligibility because of this year’s additional funding. Applications are ranked with the highest receiving funding first.

WRP helps landowners restore wetlands with the goal of maximizing wildlife benefits and recovering lost wetland functions and values. Eligible Tennesseans can be reimbursed for retiring from agriculture those lands that are marginally productive due to wetness.

WRP offers landowners three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and restoration agreements. The program pays for 100% of the restoration costs for permanent easements and 75% for 30-year easements and restoration agreements. After an agreement has been reached, the landowner continues to control access to the land—and may use or lease the land for hunting, fishing, and other undeveloped recreational activities.

Sign-up information for WRP is available at local offices or conservation districts in each county, or you can go to the NRCS website at http://www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov and look under Programs. NRCS is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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