January 20, 2003

The Wetlands Reserve Program Helps Restore Wetlands
by James L. Cummins

The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) provides financial and technical resources to landowners to restore wetlands on private property. Since 1992, there have been approximately 300 easements enrolled in Mississippi encompassing over 100,000 acres. In addition to restoration, WRP provides financial support to agricultural producers by purchasing wetland easements on their high risk, high cost agricultural lands that are frequently flooded.

The WRP was created as a voluntary land retirement program designed to assist landowners in restoring and protecting wetlands. The three options include permanent easements, 30 year easements and restoration cost share agreements.

Mississippi has the second largest enrollment of WRP acres in the nation. Because the program is so popular with landowners, until recently, applications were backlogged on more than 47,000 acres. Due to the assistance of Senators Thad Cochran and Trent Lott and the recent Farm Bill, the backlog has now been filled and acreage is available.

Since 1992, reforestation of WRP bottomland hardwood forests has been completed on approximately 114,000 acres. Additionally, hydrology restoration enhancement measures have been completed on approximately 20,000 acres. Currently, working through partnerships, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is restoring an estimated 14,000 acres of wildlife habitat annually. In 2002, the WRP funding allocation for Mississippi was $13.0 million.

The program is working. For example, when Henry Fleming retired in 1997 after nearly 50 years of raising cotton and soybeans, he did something many farmers don't always get to do. He kept the farm. Several years ago, he put the farm on the market and grieved at the impending loss of the family farm due to the economy. His son, David, had been reading up on the NRCS's WRP and it quickly dawned on him that it might be possible for them to keep the farm through this program. Everyone realized the WRP program could provide the solution to this dilemma. This program is providing the capitol to pay off the farm debt. Hardwood trees have been planted for wildlife by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Approximately 600 acres of well drained cotton land is still being farmed. Fleming put 963 acres in WRP and has donated a conservation easement. He and his children and 10 grandchildren will have the opportunity to continue using the land for recreation for generations to come.



James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi