Issue 8

How Well Are We Restoring Wetland Functions?

The 2002 Farm Bill represented a landmark increase in conservation funding to help farmers and ranchers meet environmental challenges on their lands, including problems related to soil erosion, impaired water quality, and loss of wetlands and wildlife habitat. In 2008, funding for the Conservation Reserve Program under the Farm Bill is estimated to rise to just over $2 billion, with a proposed increase to the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) of over $455 million. Enrollment in the WRP for 2008 is projected at up to 250,000 new acres, bringing total enrollment to 2,275,000 acres nationwide, the maximum level authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill.

As these taxpayer-funded programs are implemented, the question arises: “Are they effective and cost-efficient in achieving the desired gains in environmental quality?”

To answer this question, the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Service and other partner agencies. Through CEAP, the NRCS supports national and regional projects that scientifically evaluate USDA conservation practices implemented on agricultural lands under Farm Bill programs. The CEAP-Wetlands project specifically assesses practices aimed at preserving or restoring wetland ecosystem functions. Wetlands provide important environmental services that include sediment reduction, water-quality improvement, water storage and flood control, conservation of plant and animal diversity, and production of harvestable resources.

CEAP-Wetlands consists of two components: field assessment and literature synthesis. Seven regional syntheses will evaluate the current state of knowledge about the effectiveness of wetland conservation practices across the Nation. Because of her expertise in Coastal Plain wetlands, SRS research ecologist Diane De Steven from the SRS Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research was invited to co-author the synthesis for the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain region with ARS scientist Richard Lowrance, an expert on riparian buffer zones and agricultural water-quality issues. The synthesis will highlight regional resource concerns, how conservation practices are addressing those concerns, and what knowledge gaps exist. The synthesis articles will be published as a special section in a peer-reviewed ecological journal, and a nontechnical summary document for general audiences will also be developed in partnership with the Ecological Society of America.

For more information:
Diane De Steven at 662–686–3602 or ddesteven@fs.fed.us.

Back to: Restoring Depressional Wetlands