By Claude Ross
NRCS Natural Resources Specialist
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $15 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) to help eligible conservation partners leverage local investments focused on wetland protection and improvements on private and Tribal agricultural lands.
WREP is an opportunity for state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and Tribal governments to collaborate with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in increasing the number of voluntary conservation easement projects that protect, restore and enhance high-priority wetlands.
Local and regional WREP partners match federal funding and technical assistance to increase the assistance they can provide to eligible private landowners interested in enrolling their agricultural land into conservation wetland easements. WREP is a special enrollment option under USDA’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
The deadline for proposals to be submitted to the NRCS state office in Temple, Texas is May 16.
“The USDA is committed to protecting and enhancing our nation’s wetlands, which are critical to the quality of its waters, wildlife and landscapes,” said Salvador Salinas, Texas NRCS State Conservationist. “We are looking to our partners for innovative project proposals that will effectively leverage financial assistance provided through Farm Bill programs. This will allow us to expand our work on critical wetlands and gain results that will make project participants proud.”
Since 1995, NRCS Texas has acquired over 93,000 acres of wetland reserve easements.
For more information on NRCS or ACEP visit the Texas NRCS website at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.
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