HCP VI - Wetlands Reserve Program (3d)
Overall Project Outcome and Results
In partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Ducks Unlimited (DU) contracted with six Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) technicians that began HCP Phase 6 work on September 10, 2009 with combined funding support from Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund funds and NRCS grants. The purpose of these contracted technicians was to provide technical assistance to private landowners and USDA - NRCS complete applications and enroll new lands into the WRP, and to help USDA-NRCS and private landowners plan, design, and implement restoration measures on lands previously enrolled in the WRP. The delivery goal for these technicians was to provide Technical Assistance (TA) to help NRCS protect 1,000 acres through new WRP easements and help restore wetlands and associated upland habitat on WRP easements in prairie Habitat Conservation Partnership (HCP) project areas at an estimated Other Funds cost of $1,500,000 to NRCS.
During the life of this grant, the contract specialists made 275 landowner contacts, helped process 80 applications, developed 96 easement conservation plans, completed 21 wetland restoration designs, and managed construction of 55 wetland restoration projects. Overall, NRCS closed (purchased) 25 new WRP easements protecting 2,721 acres with the assistance of these six contracted wetland specialists funded through this grant, which exceeds the easement acre goal of this project. This includes WRP easements protecting 1,031 acres of wetlands and 1,690 acres of adjacent uplands. Other Fund expense incurred by NRCS to purchase these easements and by DU to hire and manage the contractors totals $3,923,321 in non-state funding, more than double our Other Funds expense pledge of $1.5 million.
Project Results Use and Dissemination
Information on the WRP signups has been publicized through news releases from the USDA's NRCS and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and through hundreds of individual landowner contacts made by DU wetland restoration specialists. Additional announcements and landowner contacts continue to be made and publicized by DU and USDA's NRCS.
$3,375,000 is from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for the sixth appropriation for acceleration of agency programs and cooperative agreements. Of this appropriation, $770,000 is for the Department of Natural Resources agency programs and $2,605,000 is for agreements as follows: $450,000 with Pheasants Forever; $50,000 with Minnesota Deer Hunters Association; $895,000 with Ducks Unlimited, Inc.; $85,000 with National Wild Turkey Federation; $365,000 with the Nature Conservancy; $210,000 with Minnesota Land Trust; $350,000 with the Trust for Public Land; $100,000 with Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc.; $50,000 with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and $50,000 with Friends of Detroit Lakes Watershed Management District to plan, restore, and acquire fragmented landscape corridors that connect areas of quality habitat to sustain fish, wildlife, and plants. The United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service is a cooperating partner in the appropriation. Expenditures are limited to the project corridor areas as defined in the work program. Land acquired with this appropriation must be sufficiently improved to meet at least minimum habitat and facility management standards as determined by the commissioner of natural resources. This appropriation may not be used for the purchase of residential structures, unless expressly approved in the work program. All conservation easements must be perpetual and have a natural resource management plan. Any land acquired in fee title by the commissioner of natural resources with money from this appropriation must be designated as an outdoor recreation unit under Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.07. The commissioner may similarly designate any lands acquired in less than fee title. A list of proposed restorations and fee title and easement acquisitions must be provided as part of the required work program. All funding for conservation easements must include a long-term stewardship plan and funding for monitoring and enforcing the agreement. To the maximum extent practical, consistent with contractual easement or fee acquisition obligations, the recipients shall utilize staff resources to identify future projects and shall maximize the implementation of biodiverse, quality restoration projects in the project proposal into the first half of the 2010 fiscal year.
Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".
Click on "Final Report" under "Project Details".