WRP| Kentucky NRCS

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, wildlife habitat and wetland protection..

Landowners who choose to participate in WRP may sell a conservation easement or enter into a cost-share restoration agreement with USDA to restore and protect wetlands. The landowner voluntarily limits future use of the land, yet retains private ownership. With landowner input, NRCS develops a plan for the restoration and maintenance of the wetland.

The program offers landowners three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and restoration cost-share agreements of a minimum 10-year duration.

A landowner continues to control access to the land--and may lease the land--for hunting, fishing, and other undeveloped recreational activities. At any time, a landowner may request that additional activities be evaluated to determine if they are compatible uses for the site. This request may include such items as permission to operate water control structures, plant and manage food plots, and manage native grass stands for wildlife. Compatible uses are allowed if they are fully consistent with the protection and enhancement of the wetland.

Landowner Eligibility

Landowners interested in participating in WRP should submit an application form AD-1153 to the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office. Eligibility for the easement option requires 1 year of ownership prior to submitting an application, and the landowner must be able to provide evidence of control of the land, including recorded access rights. In addition, participants must also be in compliance with High Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Provisions of the Farm Bill and also meet the Adjusted Gross Income limitations. For consideration under the easement option, applicants should also submit a copy of the grant deed indicating that they meet the 1-year ownership requirement.

Land Eligibility

Eligible land includes areas of historic wetlands that have been degraded or converted to agricultural use, and that have the potential for restoring natural hydrology functions. Also, land that has been substantially altered by human manipulation of the landscape, and where present flooding and inundation make restoration of wetland functions and values likely. In summary, WRP targets land which was formerly wetland where planned restoration has the potential to maximize wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and aid in the recovery of special status species. Adjacent parcels of non-cropped natural areas, slough channels, and uplands are also eligible if they significantly contribute to the habitat objectives of the project as determined by NRCS.

Ranking and Evaluation

NRCS ranks eligible projects according to both environmental benefits and cost-analysis. Environmental factors include assessments of future habitat diversity, benefits to special status animals, restoration of hydrology, the ability of the project to reduce habitat fragmentation, size of the offering, and improved water quality.

Economic considerations include the combination of the cost of the easement payment and the cost of habitat restoration, with less expensive projects receiving proportionately greater points. In addition, partnership contributions, either from the landowner, or from a cooperating agency or non-profit organization, can result in even higher ranking scores.