The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it is making $17.5 million in financial and technical assistance available for protection, restoration and enhancement of critical wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. The funding will be provided through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership which is part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program created in the 2014 Farm Bill.

The Program is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and will allow states, local units of government, non-governmental organizations and American Indian tribes to collaborate with USDA to work with willing landowners to enroll eligible lands into wetlands conservation and restoration easements on their properties. The easements will be designed to allow landowners to protect wildlife habitat, reduce impacts from flooding, recharge groundwater and/or provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. Project size can vary from an individual tract to landscape-scale efforts. Partners on the projects will be required to provide a match to USDA funding and sign multi-year agreements.

Project proposals must be submitted to NRCS by July 31, 2015. More information can be viewed on the NRCS website. (pmr)