Wetlands Reserve Program

The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property.  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland restoration efforts.  The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program.  This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.

Program Focus — Illinois has focused its' WRP efforts in areas that were of historical wetlands importance. The Cache River is located at the junction of four physiographic regions making it a melting pot for flora and fauna. In 1994 the Cache River was given international importance by the Ramsar Convention of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. To reverse the trend of wetland loss and to restore the wetlands of the Cache River watershed a multi-disciplined partnership was established. Approximately 10,000 acres have been acquired and restored through this partnership. Another 2,000 acres of eligible applications are pending funding. A similar project area in the lower Mississippi River has restored over 8,000 acres of Mississippi River alluvial valley bottomland hardwoods. The Carlyle Lake project area has successfully purchased and restored over 4,000 acres in the Kaskaskia River watershed.

Another WRP success story is that of the Emiquon wetland project in Fulton County, Illinois. In 2006, contract details were finalized on the project and the landowner, The Nature Conservancy, is ready to begin planning and start work on this 6,400 acre project, the second largest wetland easement project in the United States. The Emiquon is #2, to Florida’s Everglades. Planning is underway with The Emiquon, which will no doubt become a haven for wildlife, a popular spot for nature enthusiasts, and will help improve water quality in the Illinois River.

Accomplishments
In 2006, NRCS distributed $8.8 million in easements to Illinois landowners who offered 4,161 acres into the program. A total of 956 acres of wetlands were created, 2,570 acres were enhanced, and 10,458 will be restored. Hundreds of WRP contracts currently protect thousands of acres of wetlands since the program was implemented in 1994.

Campaign Material

These documents require Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher

WRP Poster (Available in 11x17 or 8-1/2 x 14 sizes)
8x14 Poster (PDF, 293 kb)
11x17 Poster (PDF, 387 kb)
  [Click here to view poster]

WRP Display (Available in 11x17 or 8-1/2 x 14 sizes)
8x14 Display (PDF, 347 kb)
11x17 Display (PDF, 468 kb)
  [Click here to view display]

WRP Fact Sheet
WRP 2007 Fact Sheet (PDF, 1.2 MB)  [HTML Format]

The following document requires PowerPoint software.

2007 WRP Campaign Presentation
2007 WRP Presentation (PPT, 1 MB)

More Program Information

These documents require Adobe Acrobat

Fact Sheet  (PDF)
Questions and Answers (PDF)
Key Points (PDF)
Program Description (PDF)
Final Rule, 2002 Farm Bill,  (PDF) (June 7, 2002)

• Final Rule — Regulation 7 CFR Part 1467
• Maps and Statistics
• NRCS Policy
• National WRP website

Program Contact:

Dave Hiatt,  State WRP Coordinator/Biologist
1001 N. York
Martinsville, Illinois 62442
(217) 382.4123 ext. 3
dave.hiatt@il.usda.gov

Terry Wachter, WRP Specialist
148 East Pleasant Hill Road, Suite 108
Carbondale, Illinois 62903
(618) 453.5630
terry.wachter@il.usda.gov