Auburn, Ala. – State Conservationist Dr. William E. Puckett has announced that the Natural Resources Conservation Service will receive funding for a Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Grazing Pilot Project in Alabama. A two week sign-up will be held beginning July 20, 2009.
To receive consideration, applications must be received by close of business on July 31, 2009. Landowners can apply for the WRP Grazing Pilot Project at the following local USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices throughout the state: Lowndes, Montgomery, Lauderdale, Morgan, Geneva, Lawrence, Hale, Baldwin, Franklin, Dallas, Limestone, Sumter, Madison, and Marengo.
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to assist landowners and operators of private and tribal lands in restoring, protecting, and enhancing open land with wetland soils. Under this new pilot project, easements will be purchased on qualifying properties for a minimum of 30 years and landowners will retain some grazing rights to the property. Eligible pastureland will be converted from tall fescue and other non-native grasses to native grasses such as eastern gamagrass and switchgrass. In addition, shallow water habitat enhancements for waterfowl and wading birds will be created on some of these sites.
Interested landowners in the above counties can contact their local NRCS office or general program information is available on the Alabama NRCS website.