By Andi Anderson
The USDA is inviting applications from Michigan landowners interested in restoring wetlands on their properties. The deadline for submitting applications is November 17, 2023, and these applications will be considered for selection in the current fiscal year.
Here are some key details about the program:
1. Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): This program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), aims to protect the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land. It does so by limiting nonagricultural uses that negatively affect agricultural activities and conservation values, restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring wetlands on eligible land.
2. Financial Assistance: ACEP provides financial assistance for restoring wetlands and offers the option to purchase long-term or permanent easements from landowners. Landowners who enroll in the program retain ownership of the land and control over access to the property, as well as recreational use.
3. ACEP Components:
- Agricultural Land Easements (ALE): This component helps protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses through conservation easements.
- Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE): This component helps protect, restore, and enhance wetlands that have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses.
4. Benefits of Wetland Reserve Easements: Wetland Reserve Easements provide various benefits, including habitat preservation for fish and wildlife, water quality improvement by filtering sediments and chemicals, flood reduction, groundwater recharge, biological diversity protection, climate change resilience, and opportunities for education, scientific research, and limited recreational activities.
5. Enrollment Options: Wetland Reserve Easements offer several enrollment options, including permanent easements, 30-year easements, term easements, and 30-year contracts (available for acreage owned by Indian tribes). NRCS covers various costs associated with recording the easement in local land records offices.
6. Prioritization: NRCS will prioritize applications based on the easement's potential to protect and enhance habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Landowners in Michigan interested in wetland restoration and ACEP can find more information by contacting their local USDA Service Center. This program presents an opportunity for landowners to contribute to wetland conservation and habitat preservation while receiving financial assistance to support restoration efforts on their properties.
Photo Credit: pexels-ron-lach
Categories: Michigan, General