Natural Resources OKLAHOMA REPORT Conservation Service WetlandsWetlands ReserveReserve ProgramProgram Bill Brixey of Lincoln County says of his WRP land, “...I spend a lot more time now doing wildlife photography than I do hunting...”

Above and right are aerial views of the Grassy WRP project in McCurtain County. The 1,100-acre project includes natural , and has unique and unusual plants and animals for Oklahoma.

The Red Slough WRP project has become one of the premiere recreational destinations for birders and wildlife enthusiasts in the nation. The roseate spoonbill (center), is rare to Oklahoma and is one of many bird species sighted and documented at the project. photos: NRCS Oklahoma agreement with to assist with the Wetlands Reserve Program surveying and contracting of restoration and The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) was created enhancement. as a voluntary land retirement program designed to assist The Oklahoma WRP currently encompasses 34 eligible landowners in restoring and protecting wetlands counties. The variety of wetland restoration goes from using three options. These options include permanent bottomland range sites of the Central Rolling Red Plains easements, 30-year easements, or restoration cost-share in the west that average 27 inches of precipitation agreements. The WRP was reauthorized in the 2002 Farm annually, to the bottomland hardwoods of the Southern Bill for an additional one million acres to be enrolled Coastal Plain that average 50 inches of rainfall annually. nationwide through 2007. This additional acreage will The WRP easements range in size from 7 acres to 7,800 result in over two million acres of wetland restoration acres. The average size of a WRP easement in Oklahoma through the WRP during the life of the Farm Bill. As a is 310 acres, and the average cost for easement acquisition result of this Farm Bill, Oklahoma received $5 million in and restoration is currently $607 dollars per acre. funding for easement acquisition and restoration in 2002. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and Focus On Oklahoma Ducks Unlimited meet with the NRCS on a monthly basis The focus of the Oklahoma WRP is to restore and to provide a team approach to wetland restoration in enhance the hydrology and native vegetation on eligible Oklahoma. This includes schedule restoration activities, land. The use of dikes, water control structures and review compatible use requests, and evaluating microtopograghy enhancement (ridge/swale) features applications. are utilized in conjunction with tree plantings, range xCurrently, there are 146 total contracts, equaling seeding, and critical area plantings to restore former 43,959.6 acres in Oklahoma wetlands and provide habitats for migrating birds and ü103 contracts are permanent easements local wildlife species that are dependent on wetland ü7 contracts are 30 year easements habitat. Oklahoma is in their third year of a cooperative ü36 contracts are 10 year easements photo: USDA OKLAHOMA WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM

x$23,487,163 have been utilized in Oklahoma for Successful Projects on Private Lands easement acquisition, restoration and enhancement efforts Red Slough Wetland Restoration Project - Update xThere are 47 applications totaling 6,789 acres at The Red Slough WRP easement in McCurtain County $4,597,550, awaiting funding has been partially purchased by the U.S. Forest Service In Oklahoma, the types of WRP restoration projects and is being managed for public use by the Oklahoma most often fall into the following categories: floodplain Department of Wildlife Conservation. This project has restoration, playa restoration, and riparian corridors. All produced 257 documented species of birds in the last three categories have their own unique characteristics two years. Some of the birds that have been sighted in and successful outcomes. the Red Slough are considered first time sightings in As a national agency, the NRCS has the primary Oklahoma. A few of the unusual sightings for Oklahoma responsibility for the WRP, and also has the authority to would include the black-bellied whistling duck, wood develop cooperative agreements with outside stork, roseate spoonbill, willow flycatcher, purple conservation groups who can assist with its gallinule, white ibis, and the yellow rail. The successional implementation. The NRCS also can delegate its stages of wetland development that are present on this authority for monitoring, managing, and enforcing project are due to the planned water manipulation, soil easements to state or other federal agencies that have the disturbance, and the presence of permanent and semi- resources to do the job. permanent water that has occurred on this site since its Almost any former or degraded wetland is eligible entrance into the program. The diverse habitat that has for WRP, as long as the wetland is restorable and will been developed through the wetland restoration and provide wildlife benefits. The exceptions are converted enhancement efforts is providing the habitats required wetlands in violation of the swampbuster provision of by a variety of wetland dependent species. the 1985 Farm Bill, land established in trees under the Conservation Reserve Program, and federally owned Lincoln County Project land. Bill Brixey, Lincoln County farmer, is the owner of Eligible lands include: an old vegetable farm on the Dry Creek bottom. He üPrior converted cropland wanted to turn the old farm into something that would üWetland farmed under natural conditions be productive, but the occasional flooding in the bottom üFarmed wetland allowed few options. His son-in-law, George Hicks, üFarmed wetland pasture learned of the WRP at a local Lions Club meeting and üFarmland that has developed wetland functions passed the word on to Brixey, who signed up for the as a result of flooding program. Mr. Brixey enrolled his land under the üRangeland, pasture or production forestland on permanent easement option of the program. The dirt work which hydrology can be restored for restoration created two ten-acre cells creating the üOther associated wetlands shallow water necessary for wetland restoration. The üRiparian areas that link protected wetlands cells are deep along the embankment and shallow up üAssociated uplands stream to provide the best conditions to grow the wetland plants. NRCS designs also allowed for nesting islands WRP Program Activity - Dollars Per County to reduce predation of waterfowl nests. “Our families 1996 - 2002 have always enjoyed the outdoors and wildlife,” Hicks said. “I spend a lot more time now doing

CI MARR ON OT T A W A TEX AS WOODS GR ANT KAY BEAVER HAR PER ALFALFA 642.4 ac. NOWATA 60 ac. wildlife photography than I do hunting, so 49 ac. 21.6 ac. CRA IG 1,548.7 ac. 640.5 ac. OS A GE 201 ac. 620 ac. W ASHINGTON there will not be any of hunting on the GAR FIE LD WOODWARD ROGERS DEL AWARE MAJOR 160 ac. NO BLE PAWNE E 380 ac. MAYES restored areas.” ELLIS 65 ac. 25 ac.

PAYNE TU LS A DEWEY 22.8 ac. LOGAN CRE EK KINGFISH ER WAGONER CHE ROKEE For More Information LINC OL N For More Information BLAINE 237 ac . 488 ac. ADAIR RO GER MI LL S CUSTER OKM ULGEE OK L A H OMA MUSKOGEE 67 ac. 1,587 ac. 199.15 ac. For more information on this program CAN ADIAN OKFU SKEE SEQUOYAH

MCINTOSH Legend BECKHAM 340 ac. or other USDA Natural Resources 87 ac. WASHITA CLE VELAN D WRP Dollars per County CAD DO HASKE LL 0 280ac. Conservation Service Programs, contact GR ADY SEMINOLE HUGHES GR E ER KIOWA POTTAWATOMIE LEFLOR E $5,000 to $100,000 PITTSBU RG 37.5 ac. MCCLAIN LATIMER $100,001 to $500,000 74.6ac. your local Natural Resources Conservation GAR VI N 373 ac. HAR MON PONTOTOC 60.80 ac. $500,001 to $1,000,000 JACKS ON CO MAN CHE $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 135 ac. 50 ac. COAL Service office or USDA Service Center, or TI LL MA N STEPHENS $5,000,001 + MURRAY 8,143 ac. COTTON ATOKA PUSHMATAHA check out the website: www.ok.usda.gov. 4,0 78 ac. 1,670.3 ac. CAR TE R JOHNS TON

JEFFERSON MCCUR TAI N CHOCTAW ALL 12,373.57 ac. LOVE BRYAN 3,025 ac.

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