The Wetland Reserve Program has helped create wetlands like this one along Highway 34 between Utica and Seward.

Stephanie Croston

    You may have noticed the signs along Highway 34 near Utica that say "Wetlands Reserve Program."
     They indicate areas that have been enrolled in the voluntary program created by the 1990 Farm Bill. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) offers incentives to farmers and ranchers to return wetlands from harvested ground to their original state.
     For Bob and Mary Eikenhorst, the decision to put 54.95 acres of low-lying ground along Highway 34 into WRP has been a good one.
     "One or two of every five years, it'd get drowned out," Bob Eikenhorst said. "Once it's planted and up and it gets drowned, that's a big loss."
     The land was used as crop ground in the past. Eikenhorst said a man from York approached them about five years ago about making the land a wetland.
     Landowners still have control over the land and may allow activities like hunting and fishing if they wish. Eikenhorst said his ground is used mainly for hunting and grazing.
     The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers three enrollment options into the program: permanent easement, 30-year easement and restoration cost-share agreement.
     With easements, the U.S. Department of Agriculture pays the costs associated with recording the land as a wetlands reserve area, including charges for abstracts, survey and appraisal fees and title insurance, according to the Wetlands Reserve Program website.
     The cost-share agreement usually covers 10 years and is to reestablish degraded or lost wetland functions and values. Under the agreement, the USDA pays up to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
     Applications may be filed with the USDA at any time at local USDA service centers or conservation district offices. The forms are also available online at http://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eforms/formsearchservlet. Enter Natural Resources Conservation Service in the agency field, Wetlands Reserve Program in the program name field and AD-1153 in the form number field.
     Once an application is filed, the NRCS determines if the land is eligible. Representatives visit the site to collect the necessary data, develop a preliminary restoration plan, complete requirements for the National Environmental Policy Act and evaluate the site and surrounding area, looking for hazardous substances, the WRP website said.
     The state determines which projects will be funded based on a ranking system.
     "Eligible land must be restorable and be suitable for wildlife benefits," the WRP site said.
     Criteria include:
     • Wetlands farmed under natural conditions;
     • Farmed wetlands;
     • Prior converted cropland;
     • Farmed wetland pasture;
     • Ag land that has become a wetland because of flooding;
     • Range, pasture or production forest land where the hydrology has been degraded and can be restored;
     • Riparian areas that link protected wetlands;
     • Lands adjacent to protected wetlands that contribute significantly to wetland functions and values; and
     • Previously restored wetlands that need long-term protection.
     Once the land is entered into the program, the landowner is responsible to control any noxious weeds or invasive species that may be on the land. Emergency pest control is also included, as required by federal, state and local laws, the WRP website said.