WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP) News Release

Updated 06/09/2008

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

771 Corporate Drive Suite 210

Lexington, KY 40503

Phone: 859-224-7350

Web: http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP) AND SIGN UP DEADLINE

(Lexington, Ky.) June 9, 2008—Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kentucky announced the next WRP application ranking deadline is June 20, 2008.  WRP applications are continually accepted and those applications received after June 20 will remain on file until the next ranking cycle. 

    The compensation portion of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 for WRP is effective immediately and may be of special interest to local landowners.  The new language in the 2008 Farm Bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to pay as compensation for a WRP easement the fair market value of the land, as determined by an appraisal or an area-wide market analysis or survey.  The amount paid is limited to a geographic cap or the landowner offer, whichever is less.  Landowners can view the geographic rate cap, which establishes the maximum easement payment NRCS will pay for the corresponding county, and other program information, on the NRCS Kentucky WRP Web page:  http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/WRP/WRPindex2008.html.  Scroll down to Wetlands Reserve Program Geographic Area Cap Map for Kentucky - Updated February 2008

     Another change to the WRP, but not effective until October 1, 2008, requires the current landowner have owned the land for seven years prior to enrollment, changed from 12 months.  This next ranking cycle will provide those landowners who have owned the land for 12 months but less than  seven years a short window of opportunity to enroll this summer. 

    Landowners can enroll their land under a 30-year or permanent easement for a lump sum easement payment and may have up to 100 percent of the wetland restoration costs covered under WRP.  Eligible lands include farmed wetlands, prior converted cropland, farmed wetland pasture, farmland that floods from rivers, farmland with somewhat poorly drained soils, and current or abandoned cropland with tile lines, drainage ditches, dikes or other similar alterations. 

     Please review the warranty easement deed carefully as the program may not meet all landowner objectives.  A copy can be found at Kentucky NRCS' WRP Web page: http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/WRP/WRPindex2008.html.  Scroll down to Warranty Easement Deed.

 See your local district conservationist to determine if your land qualifies. 

For more information, please contact Jacob Kuhn, Assistant State Conservationist at 859-224-7350, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 210, Lexington, Kentucky 40503.   For more information regarding WRP, visit NRCS' Web site at http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov/programs and http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.

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