Wetlands Reserve Program

 

To assist landowners in restoring and protecting wetlands on eligible lands on which they agree to enter into a permanent or 30-year long-term easement (30-year contract for Indian Tribes), or a restoration cost-share agreement with the Secretary. The goal of WRP is to maximize wetland functions and values and wildlife benefits on every acre enrolled in the program.

Active 10.072 Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture B - Project Grants; Z - Salaries and Expenses Not applicable. Food Security Act of 1985 (This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014, effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date.), Title XII, Part Subtitle D, Section 1237, Public Law 99-198, 16 U.S.C. 3831, Statute 99,1504 An individual landowner, partnership, association, corporation, estate, trust, other business or other legal entities and Indian Tribe. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. An individual landowner, partnership, association, corporation, estate, trust, other business enterprises or other legal entities and Indian Tribe. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. The landowner must have owned the land offered for at least the preceding 7 years prior to the end of the period in which the intent to participate in an easement is declared unless the land was acquired by will or succession as a result of the death of the previous owner; or the Department determines that the new owner did not acquire such land for the purpose of placing it in the WRP. The 7 year requirement is not applicable to restoration agreement. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. No longer available for new enrollments. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. Not applicable. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. Landowner may appeal certain determinations to the National Appeals Division. Not applicable. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. Not applicable. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. Eligible landowners may offer farmed wetlands, prior converted wetlands, wetlands farmed under natural condition, former or degraded wetlands on lands that have been used or are currently being used for the production of food and fiber, including cropland, rangeland and forest production land, lands substantially altered by flooding, certain riparian areas, along with certain adjacent areas. The goal of the WRP is to achieve the greatest wetlands functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat on every acre enrolled in the program. At least 70 percent of the wetland and upland areas will be restored to the natural condition to the extent practicable; the remaining 30 percent of the project area may be restored to other than natural conditions. Enrollment options include permanent easements, 30-year easements, restoration cost-share agreements, and, for acreage owned by Indian Tribes, 30-year contracts. To be eligible for participation, land must be restorable and be suitable for wildlife benefits. Participating landowners must comply with the terms and conditions of their easement, agreement or contract for the duration of the document. For easement projects, landowners shall ensure the easement is superior to the rights of all others and shall agree to implement a wetland restoration plan designed to restore and maintain the easement area. Landowners must agree to a permanent retirement of crop acreage bases, allotments, and quotas to the extent that the sum of the crop acreage bases and allotments will not exceed the remaining cropland on the farm. Participating landowners receive financial and technical assistance to install necessary restoration practices as follows: • Permanent easements: Easement duration is in perpetuity. Landowners receive an easement payment after the easement is filed. In addition, NRCS shall share the cost of carrying out the establishment conservation measures and practices, and the protection of wetland functions and values, including necessary maintenance activities, to the extent that the Secretary determines that cost-sharing is appropriate and in the public interest. • 30-year easements: Easement duration is 30 years. Landowners receive an easement payment after the easement is filed that is the equivalent of 75 percent of the value for a permanent easement and up to 75 percent of the eligible restoration costs. • Restoration cost-share agreements: Restoration cost-share agreements are made available to participating landowners as an alternative mechanism to restore wetlands without requiring the participant to sell an easement. Agreements are generally for a 10-year period, although longer agreement periods may be required for unique projects that are funded at a higher level. There is no easement payment; however, NRCS pays up to 75 percent of the eligible restoration costs. • 30-year contracts: Acreage owned by Indian Tribes can be enrolled through the use of a 30-year contract which shall be equivalent in value to a 30-year easement. For both permanent and 30-year easements, WRP pays for all the overhead costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office including recording fees, charges for title abstracts, surveys, appraisal fees, records searches, and title insurance associated with acquiring an easement. These overhead costs are generally not paid to participants but are provided directly to the vendor performing the service. Therefore, payments appearing on USAspending.gov will be reflective of payments to participants and payments to vendors for services associated with restoration and management activities and administrative costs associated with recording an easement. Eligible applicants must be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland conservation provisions in 7 CFR part 12 and the Adjusted Gross Income provisions in 7 CRP part 1400. They must be the landowner of the eligible land being offered for participation. For easement applications, the applicant must have owned the land for the 7-year period prior to the time the land is determined eligible for enrollment unless it is determined that the land was acquired by will or succession as a result of death of the previous owner; the ownership change occurred due to foreclosure and the owner of the land immediately before foreclosure exercises a right of redemption from the mortgage holder; or the land was acquired under circumstances that give adequate assurances, as determined by NRCS that such land was not acquired for the purposes of placing it in the program. Not applicable. Recipients are subject to audit by the Office of Inspector General, USDA. Records will be maintained in the county NRCS office, State NRCS office and Federal Record Centers for the length of the agreement. The easement (deed restriction) and applicable documents will be filed in the local land records office for the duration of the easement. Agreements are filed with the Agency. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is voluntary. This program was repealed by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), effective February 7, 2014. Therefore, no new enrollments are authorized for this program after that date. Implementation of contracts entered into prior to that date will continue. Lump sum payments or no less than 5 nor more than 30 annual payments of equal or unequal value are made for easements. Cost-share payments of 100 percent of the cost of implementing the Wetland Restoration Plan will be paid for a permanent easement with 75 percent of permanent easement amounts being paid for 30-year easements, 30-year contracts and restoration cost-share agreements.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Cash easement payments will be made in a lump sum amount or in annual installments beginning at closing. Cost share payments for implementation of easement practices will be made when a specific practice has been implemented by either the landowner or contractor. see above. For more information on this and other related conservation programs, consult the local telephone directory where your land is located for the location of the nearest USDA service center. For a list of NRCS State offices with telephone numbers and addresses, information is available on the internet at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/. Andrew James, Program Manager
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250 USA
Andrew.James@usda.gov
Phone: (202) 720-9474 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/wetlands/ 12-1004-0-1-302 (Cooperative Agreements) FY 18$122,328,000.00; FY 19 est $23,994,000.00; FY 20 est $0.00; FY 17$88,663,000.00; FY 16$39,735,000.00; - (Salaries and Expenses) FY 18$30,646,000.00; FY 19 est $7,006,000.00; FY 20 est $0.00; FY 17$38,616,000.00; FY 16$14,591,000.00; - Not Applicable. Regulations published in the Federal Register and 7 CFR XIV. Not applicable.