President’s Note: Mowing for Pollinators
Creating pollinator habitat can be as simple as a tweak to how you mow your lawn. Start mowing for pollinators and watch the wildflowers blossom!
Oklahoma’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) – Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component. Applications submitted by March 27, 2020, will be considered for FY2020 funding.
NRCS will prioritize applications that protect, restore and enhance habitat for wildlife on their lands and reduce damage from flooding and recharge groundwater.
Land eligible for easements includes cropland, rangeland, grassland and pastureland land owned by private individuals or Native American Tribes. Wetland Reserve Easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity and provide opportunities for educational, scientific and limited recreational activities.
ACEP has two components, one for Agricultural Land Easements (ALE), and one for Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). Applications for both ALE and WRE are accepted on a continuous basis.
To apply for a Wetland Reserve Easement, landowners should contact their local NRCS field office, to be considered in the current batching period ending March 27, 2020.