Landowners in Select Counties Eligible for Wetland Reserve Program Initiative

COLUMBIA, MO, July 5, 2006 – Landowners in four northeastern Missouri counties have until July 28 to apply for funding through a new Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) initiative.

The initiative, called a reverse auction, is available to landowners in Adair, Linn, Macon and Sullivan counties, said Harold Deckerd, assistant state conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The WRP reverse auction will pay landowners to establish wetlands in exchange for perpetual easements. In exchange for the easements, landowners may receive 100 percent of their accepted offer for the enrolled land plus the cost of approved wetland restoration practices.

“The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program that protects, restores and enhances wetlands, while maximizing wildlife benefits,” Deckerd said.

To be eligible for participation, lands must be privately owned, tribal land or state, county or non-federal public lands that meet WRP eligibility criteria. Eligible landowners should complete applications for the reverse auction at their local NRCS field offices. They also must conduct environmental self assessments of the lands they wish to enroll in WRP, and submit sealed bids that are less than the geographically determined bid cap. Applications will be prioritized according to an environmental benefits index that is determined by dividing the landowner bid offer by the environmental self assessment score.

In addition to the four Missouri counties, the WRP reverse auction is being offered to eligible landowners in select counties of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Idaho, California and Colorado.

NRCS provides technical and financial support to help landowners achieve wetland restoration objectives. The purpose of the reverse auction is ultimately to reduce the easement acquisition costs and NRCS technical assistance costs.

To sign up for WRP or to get more information about it and other NRCS programs, contact the NRCS office serving your county. Look in the phone book under “U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture,” or click here.

Missouri WRP information

Missouri WRP Pilot Self-Assessment Guide

National NRCS WRP Information

Missouri News Releases