Wetlands Reserve Program 2010 Applicable in San Juan County
Program DescriptionThe Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to restore, enhance, and protect wetlands. Landowners have the option of enrolling eligible lands through permanent easements, 30-year easements, or restoration cost-share agreements. This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish, at minimal cost, long-term conservation and wildlife habitat enhancement practices and protection.
Enrollment Options The program offers three enrollment options:
- Permanent Easement. Easement payments for this option equal the lowest of three amounts: the agricultural value of the land, an established payment cap, or an amount offered by the landowner. In addition to paying for the easement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays 100 percent of the costs of restoring the wetland.
- 30-Year Easement . Easement payments through this option are 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. USDA also pays 75 percent of restoration costs. For both permanent and 30-year easements, USDA pays all costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office, including recording fees, charges for abstracts, survey and appraisal fees, and title insurance.
- Restoration Cost-share Agreement. This is an agreement (generally for a minimum of 10 years) to re-establish degraded or lost wetland habitat. USDA pays 75 percent of the cost of the restoration activity. This enrollment option does not place an easement on the property. For all enrollment options, other agencies and private conservation organizations may provide additional assistance for easement payments and wetland restoration costs as a way to reduce the landowner s share of the costs. Such special partnership efforts are encouraged.
Easement Acquisition After an easement application is selected for funding, NRCS arranges for an appraisal to provide the applicant with a contracted payment amount using an option agreement to purchase. If an alternative land evaluation process is implemented in the State, NRCS uses the amount determined by the alternative method. The option agreement is the obligating document. After the landowner accepts the amount offered on the agreement and NRCS provides approval for CCC, NRCS obligates the funds for the project in the financial system. The option agreement has an effective period of six months from the date of execution. The effective period may be extended when necessary. The landowner s signature on the option agreement authorizes NRCS to proceed with the easement acquisition process. The acreage amount placed on the option agreement is an estimate of the easement acreage. This acreage value may have to be adjusted after a survey is complete. After the easement is recorded, NRCS proceeds with making arrangements for restoration. NRCS and its partners, including conservation districts, continue to provide assistance to landowners after completion of restoration activities. This assistance may be in the form of reviewing restoration measures, clarifying technical and administrative aspects of the easement and project management needs, and providing basic biological and engineering advice on how to achieve optimum results for wetland dependent species.
Eligibility
Landowner. To offer a conservation easement, the landowner must have owned the land for at least 12 months prior to enrolling it in the program, unless the land was inherited, the landowner exercised the landowner s right of redemption after foreclosure, or the NRCS State conservationist determines the landowner did not obtain the land for the purpose of enrolling it in the program. To participate in a restoration cost-share agreement, the landowner merely needs to show evidence of ownership.
Land. Land must be restorable and be suitable for wildlife benefits. This includes:
- Wetlands farmed under natural conditions;
- Farmed wetlands;
- Prior converted cropland;
- Farmed wetland pasture;
- Farmland that has become a wetland as a result of flooding;
- Range land, pasture, or production forest land where the hydrology has been significantly degraded and can be restored;
- Riparian areas which link protected wetlands;
- Lands adjacent to protected wetlands that contribute significantly to wetland functions and values; and
- Previously restored wetlands that need long- term protection.
- Ineligible Land. Ineligible land includes wetlands converted after December 23,1985; lands with timber stands established under a Conservation Reserve Program contract; Federal lands; and lands where conditions make restoration impossible.
- The Adjusted Gross Income provision of the 2002 Farm Bill impacts eligibility for WRP and several other 2002 Farm Bill programs. Individuals or entities that have an average adjusted gross income exceeding $2.5 million for the three tax years immediately preceding the year the contract is approved are not eligible to receive program benefits or payments. However, an exemption is provided in cases where 75 percent of the adjusted gross income is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry operations. The final rule for this provision has not yet been published.
- For WRP, the number of acres is the limiting factor, with funding being somewhat flexible. Congress directs the agency to enroll a specific acreage level. The NRCS National office considers three factors when determining allocations: ecological considerations regarding number of wetlands lost in a State and whether the State impacts migratory birds, landowner interest in the program as reflected by the level of unfunded applications, and State performance related to prior year WRP activity.
- WRP has an acreage enrollment limitation rather than a funding limit. Congress determines how many acres can be enrolled in the program and funding is somewhat flexible. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) estimates program-funding needs based on the national average cost per acre.
- The program is offered on a continuous sign-up basis and is available in all 50 States the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands.
- Landowners and Tribes may file an application for a conservation easement or a cost-share restoration agreement with USDA to restore and protect wetlands at any time. Participants voluntarily limit future use of the land, but retain private ownership. Easements are held by the United States of America, by and through the CCC.
- Applications may be obtained and filed at any time with the local USDA Service Center or conservation district office. NRCS handles administrative and technical responsibilities at the local level, except for disbursing payments and activities associated with debt collection. These activities are completed by the Farm Service Agency.
The focus of Wetlands Reserve Program is National
2010 San Juan Islands Conservation District Election
Published election procedures are available from the Washington State Conservation Commission (http://www.scc.wa.gov/).
VOTE IN YOUR CONSERVATION DISTRICT ELECTION
The election of the San Juan Islands Conservation District will be held on March 16, 2010. All San Juan County registered voters are
eligible to vote in this election. One supervisor will be elected for a 3-year term on the governing
board of the District.
The Board of Supervisors is responsible for governance and oversight of the Conservation District, for formulation of policy regulating
District operations, for approval of District budgets, and monitoring use of District resources. The Board of Supervisors meets monthly, and
individual supervisors typically also serve on District committees and provide technical support as appropriate. Supervisor positions are not compensated.
This election will be conducted by mail and in person at the polling station, 540 Guard St, #150, Friday Harbor from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on March 16, 2010.
Those wishing to vote by mail must request a ballot, and must do so not later than March 8, 2010.
Ballot requests may be submitted, to the attention of the Elections Officer.
Mail: SJICD, 350 Court St, #10, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Telephone: (260) 378-6621; Fax: (360) 378-2445
E-mail: j.byington@sanjuanislandscd.org
In person: 540 Guard St, #150, Friday Harbor, WA
Ballots will be mailed to voters when the list of candidates is final. Mailed ballots must be returned postmarked no later than March 16, 2010.
The USDA-NRCS Federal cost-share Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) will help you pay for farm projects that protect the land & improve operations.
Deadline: August 15, 2009
Pay half or less for Compost Bins, Heavy Use Corrals, Drainage, Irrigation, Interior Fencing, and many more....
EQIP is a voluntary, cost-share assistance program that helps conservation practices including those aimed at helping farmers improve irrigation efficiency; manage nutrient run-off and/or animal waste; improve the health of native plant communities; and reduce soil loss. If you are interested please contact us for the applications. Call our farm planner, Bruce Gregory at 378.6621 or b.gregory@sanjuanislandscd.org
Native Plants: Look for them on an island near you
Native Plants and the Annual Native Plant Sale: A partnership between the Master Gardener Foundation and the San Juan Islands Conservation District.
2010 NATIVE PLANT SALE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27th, 2010 •Please call WSU Extension at 378-4414 if you have any questions.
Plants are 1-2 years old and are bare root or plugs sold in bundles of five plants, unless noted. Plants average
from 8” to 36” in height. Plants are conservation stock, not nursery stock and some plant loss should be expected.
Orders may be picked up on Saturday February 27, 2010 between 9-12 in one of three locations: SJC Fairgrounds 4-H Building, Orcas Island Grange, Lopez at Sunset Builders
| The
Conservation District is charged with preserving
our natural resources, supporting agriculture and
educational activities. The district is supervised
by ...
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“Land Development Permits and Practices — the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” will be held March 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the San Juan Island Grange, downtown Friday Harbor.
Deadline extended for Environmental Quality Incentives Program
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quality improved by Conservation District efforts.
posted 07/12/2006 San Juan County Conservation
District (SJCCD) recently completed a three-year
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| The
Conservation District used funds from a Department
of Ecology grant to fund its share. The School
District also has had to cut its funds for budget
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| Bill
Hamilton, SJC Conservation District, Bill
McLaughlin, Fire Protection District No. 3 at
chief@sjifire.org or ...
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