By Andi Anderson
The USDA's Ohio Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering financial assistance to landowners who are interested in restoring, enhancing, and protecting wetlands through the Wetlands Reserve Easement Program (WRE). The program provides landowners with the opportunity to sell a permanent or 30-year easement on their land to the NRCS, which will then restore and protect the wetlands.
Benefits of the WRE program
The WRE program offers a number of benefits to landowners, including:
- Financial compensation for the value of the easement and the cost of restoration
- Help with planning and implementing the restoration project
- Protection of land from development and other threats
- Improved water quality
- Increased wildlife habitat
- Reduced carbon emissions
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the WRE program, land must meet the following criteria:
- Be privately owned
- Be located in Ohio
- Be a farmed or converted wetland that can be successfully restored
- Be cropland or grassland subject to flooding
- Be a previously restored wetland or riparian area that connects protected wetland areas. How to apply: To apply for the WRE program, landowners should contact their local NRCS office. NRCS staff will work with landowners to assess their eligibility and develop a restoration plan.
Application deadline
The first application cutoff date to receive fiscal year 2024 funding for the WRE program is November 15, 2023.
The USDA's Wetlands Reserve Easement Program is a valuable opportunity for Ohio landowners to protect and restore wetlands on their property. The program offers a number of benefits to landowners, including financial compensation, technical assistance, and environmental protection.
Photo Credit: pexels-ron-lach
Categories: Ohio, Sustainable Agriculture