By Anna Rzchowski, Public Lands Ecologist – arzchowski@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s May, 2024 Newsletter edition.
Monitoring wetland easements keeps these sites on track to provide even greater habitat and ecosystem benefits
WWA recently entered into a contract with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to monitor a number of Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) properties. This is an exciting opportunity for WWA to broaden our private lands initiatives and support the good work of NRCS.
We all know that many wetlands are located on private lands. A big part of the conservation puzzle is encouraging conservation projects on private lands and working with landowners to make this possible. It’s the full network of healthy wetlands on both public and private lands that leads to healthy waterways, wetlands that can support thriving waterfowl populations, and diverse plant communities creating the habitat structure that much of our wildlife require.
With this in mind, NRCS offers some great programs that are continuing to grow in popularity. We’ll talk more about our involvement in CRP next month – but for now, let’s talk Wetland Reserve Easements. WRE helps landowners protect and restore wetlands that have been degraded through historic agricultural practices. These are either 30-year contracts or permanently held easements, with NRCS bearing responsibility for some or all of the restoration cost. It’s a great way to create even more opportunities for wetland restoration across the state.
So where does WWA come in? Our ecologists will be visiting wetland easements this summer to confirm contract compliance, assess vegetation and wetland health, and develop management recommendations to improve wetland function. With ecologists in Juneau, Iowa, and Washington counties, we’ll be able to cover a number of easements across much of southern Wisconsin. We are just now getting into the swing of things as field season starts up and wetland plants are actively growing. We’re looking forward to expanding the ways in which we support private lands conservation through this contract – keep an eye out for more updates throughout the summer.
WWA ecologist Mark Pfost walks a CRP prairie planting in Grant County during a recent NRCS training day. These sites provide benefits to our water resources and wetlands by limiting runoff and soil erosion, not to mention the wide array of wildlife using these fields.
Want to learn more about Wetland Reserve Easements? Check out the NRCS website.