United States Department of Agriculture
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New Enrollments for 2009

NRCS is currently taking applications from landowners for the WRP. Interested landowners may visit their local Field Office to complete an application and supply a copy of the deed to their property.

As a result of the 2008 Farm Bill, NRCS is offering the lowest of the following for a permanent conservation easement:

  • The fair market value of the land using the Uniform Standard for Professional Appraisal Practice, or base on an area-wide analysis or survey; or
  • The geographic area rate cap determined by State Conservationist in consultation with State Technical Committee (This is currently set at $1200/ac); or
  • The landowners offer.

Priority Areas of Texas for WRP Enrollments

  1. Playa lakes and coastal depressions
  2. Bottomland hardwoods in the Trinity River watershed
  3. All other degraded wetlands within the state

Land must have been owned for a period of 7 years unless a waiver is granted by the State Conservationist based on the following:

  1. the land was acquired by will or succession as a result of the death of the previous landowner; or
  2. the ownership change occurred due to foreclosure on the land and the owner of the land immediately before the foreclosure exercises a right of redemption from the mortgage holder in accordance with State law;
    Or
  3. the landowner provides adequate assurances that the land was not acquired for the express purpose of enrolling it in WRP. The following conditions constitute adequate assurances for consideration of a waiver:

    a. Change in ownership was due to retirement of the current landowner and the land will remain in the family; or
    b. Land has been owned and operated for production of food or fiber by the current landowner for at least four years, application would enroll no more than 25 percent of land owned by the applicant, and the remainder of the land will continue to be operated by the current landowner for the production of food or fiber; including forest production lands; or
    c. Land is in joint ownership and one or more of the owners is buying out one or more of the other owners, subject to the requirements above at 2; or
    d. Lands adjacent to an existing easement or pending easement application that are essential to the successful restoration of that easement; or
    e. Other special circumstances such as impact to threatened and endangered species or other critical environmental protection, as determined by the Chief.

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