More than one million acres of wetlands and bottomland hardwood forests have now been restored through the Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) program across the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV), which stretches from Missouri to Louisiana. Of the 6 states included in the LMAV, Louisiana makes up more than a third of the one-million-acre milestone with 368,265 acres enrolled in WRE.

“Reaching one million acres is a remarkable achievement,” says Ron Seiss, Lower Mississippi River Program director for The Nature Conservancy. “The benefits of that investment will be felt by wildlife, communities, and future generations for years to come.”

Sarah Trichel, State Conservationist, Louisiana Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), says “Louisiana NRCS is incredibly proud to have contributed to reaching one million acres enrolled in the WRE program. We’re even more proud to know that our work in helping restore more than a third of those acres benefits not only the individual landowners but all of Louisiana through improved water quality, increased resilience to flooding, and enhanced wildlife habitat.”

The achievement reflects more than three decades of partnership among private landowners, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NRCS, conservation organizations, and other partners.

About the WRE Program

The program began as the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), authorized by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill. The first enrolled acres were restored in 1993. 

Although the name has changed, the purpose remains the same: to help private landowners protect and restore marginal agricultural land that provides greater value as wetlands.

Through WRE, landowners receive compensation and technical assistance to protect, restore, and enhance marginal land through a voluntary conservation easement, often with no out-of-pocket costs. They keep ownership of the land, control access, and can enjoy improved opportunities for hunting, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor recreation.

Conservation and Taxpayer Benefits 

The program also provides significant public benefits including cleaner water, greater floodwater storage, and expanded wetland and wildlife habitat across the LMAV. 

More than 250 million bottomland hardwood trees have been planted, creating year-round habitat for songbirds, waterfowl, bear, deer, and other wildlife. 

WRE can also reduce long-term taxpayer costs by taking marginal and flood-prone farmland out of production. By avoiding disaster assistance or crop and commodity insurance payments, taxpayers save $2,916 per acre enrolled in WRE. 

More Information

Landowners interested in Wetland Reserve Easements can learn more about eligibility, financial assistance, and restoration opportunities by visiting https://wetlandreserve.com or contacting their local NRCS Service Centers. 

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 

For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov. 

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