Condition of Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Easements in Illinois

Andrew D. Gilbert, Aaron P. Yetter, Auriel M. V. Fournier, Samuel T. Klimas

Research output: Book/Report/Conference proceedingTechnical report

Abstract

During the 2019 fiscal year (1 October 2018 – 30 September 2019), the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) conducted wetland monitoring and wetland quality evaluations for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on Agriculture Conservation Easement Program - Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE; n = 68). We visited each wetland easement twice; once in autumn/winter (November–January) and again during spring (February–March) totaling 136 easement visits. Easements were located in Fayette (n = 34), Alexander (n = 22), and Pulaski (n = 12) Counties. Monitored easements in Fayette County were all comprised of Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) easements. Monitored easements in Alexander County comprised 15 WRP easements, 8 Emergency Watershed Protection Program-Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE), and 1 ACEP-WRE easement. Monitored easements in Pulaski County were all comprised of WRP easements. The WRP and EWPP-FPE easements were enrolled in NRCS programs prior to 2014 Farm Bill restructuring of wetland easements that now fall into the ACEP-WRE program. We previously submitted easement monitoring worksheets and detailed photographs of easement conditions, and this report contains a summary, descriptive management plans (Appendix 1) that detail conditions of the easements, and give recommendations for improvements to vegetation communities and easement infrastructure for all 70 easements.
Original languageEnglish (US)
PublisherIllinois Natural History Survey
StatePublished - Sep 30 2019

Publication series

NameINHS Technical Report 2019 (22)
No.22

Keywords

  • INHS

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