By Kris Vance, State Public Affairs Specialist

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They are known to filter water, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, store carbon and provide critical habitat for countless species of wildlife. Yet despite their benefits, many wetlands across Indiana were drained decades ago in an effort to create more farmland and are still threatened today. For Jim Wicks and Tom Malcolm, restoring nearly 48 acres of their St. Joseph County property through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) program was about giving one piece of Indiana’s  landscape the opportunity to return to what it was always meant to be. That journey began long before they ever enrolled in the program.

After retiring in 2017, Jim and Tom moved from Chicago to the 100-acre family farm they  purchased from Jim’s  parents' estate. The property includes woodlands, cropland and a low-lying field of muck that had challenged successive farmers.

"My dad actually started the Wetland Reserve Easement process in 1993," Jim said. "From what I’ve been told, the program wasn't as robust back then."

Although funding for the easement never materialized at the time, his father's observations about the land always stayed with Jim.

"He was really pretty clear about the fact that this field back here was just so troublesome. It didn't want to be a cropland," Jim said. "The message it was sending was pretty clear that it wasn't going to be reliably productive."

Well before Jim’s family purchased the land, drainage tiles kept the field tillable, allowing it to be farmed successfully. More recently, the tiles became heavily silted, making the field far less productive than it had been in the past.   When Jim and Tom took ownership of the property, they saw an opportunity to finish what Jim's father had started. At a time when environmental concerns weighed on their minds, restoring the wetland felt like the right decision.

"We heard the drumbeat of environmental catastrophe," Jim said, "and thought maybe this is a good time to reengage the WRE process and let the field return back to its natural state."

Their decision wasn’t about improving just one field on their property, they recognized the wetland benefits extended to surrounding communities by slowing floodwaters, improving water quality and creating resilient landscapes. Their focus was about allowing nature to reclaim land that had been trying to return to wetland for decades. It also complemented other conservation work on the farm, including a Conservation Reserve Program waterway that helps manage runoff from surrounding land. 

Working with NRCS, they developed a conservation plan tailored to the property. Jim admits the planning process with NRCS field staff was great.  However, like many conservation projects, implementation required patience.

"Part of the problem with this program is that we were given a conservation plan that outlines a timeline to get things implemented," Tom explained. "The timeline was a bit unrealistic for our goals, and it quickly got out of order because of weather, finding contractors and other unforeseen circumstances."

Rather than becoming discouraged, they learned to adapt. While Jim admits the final product wasn't the picture he originally had in mind, one piece of advice from NRCS biologist Ryan Owen fundamentally changed how Jim viewed the restoration.

"I wanted a beautiful sweeping meadow with some sheets of water and wild ducks on it," recalls Jim.  "[Ryan] said, 'You just have to let the field be what it wants to be and let it go. Let go of your own suppositions about what you want the field to be and let it tell you what it needs to be.'"

Through the process, Jim and Tom discovered successful restoration isn't about creating a perfect landscape, it's about allowing natural systems to function as they were designed. As the wetland has matured, wildlife has responded. Deer now use the area for shelter and food. Turkeys have become regular residents. Sandhill cranes have stopped to rest and forage during migration, and a pair of nesting vultures have returned year after year.  The evening calls of coyotes are reminders that the land is serving wildlife once again.

They have also found ways to enjoy the property themselves while respecting the easement. With NRCS approval, they established walking paths through portions of the wetland that allow them to monitor vegetation and experience the changing landscape firsthand. The paths remind them that the restoration was never intended simply for their enjoyment.

"Every little bit of protected habitat or protected environment for the wild things, even if it's ragweed, it's important and it becomes more important every day. We are restoring for nature, yes, but also for humankind. If we haven't got nature, we haven't got us."

Despite the occasional frustrations with contractor schedules and weather delays, both Jim and Tom say they would make the same decision again to enroll in WRE because they see a landscape that is once again functioning as nature intended.

"I think on the whole I need to reinforce that the wetland has been a really positive thing," Jim said. "NRCS has been great to work with. The field staff have all been just wonderfully helpful."

For landowners considering enrolling their land in a Wetland Reserve Easement, Jim offers simple advice.

"Do it, and don't mess around," he said. "It's absolutely the right thing to do. But also understand that there are going to be some drawbacks. Do your research and be realistic about the timeline."

The easement protecting their property is permanent, ensuring that long after they are gone, the land will continue filtering water, providing wildlife habitat and reminding future generations that sometimes the best stewardship begins by listening to the land itself.

"The easement is perpetual. It will be here forever. That makes me feel really good,” Jim said. ”It's going to take a special kind of buyer, but it takes all kinds to make the world go round. I’m confident somebody's out there who will continue this legacy."