Advancing a Wetlands Legacy
The Tri-state Conservation Partnership (TCP) was pleased to learn in early May of the successful award of $5M to its proposed FY23 Tristate Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) project in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). The TCP initiated this targeted WREP strategy with its first successful Tri-state WREP proposal in 2017. The FY23 funding is the fourth successful award to the multi-year project, with funding now totaling $39.2M, supporting restoration of 12,360 acres.
The Tri-state WREP project focuses on restoration of forested wetlands within priority portions of the MAV through acquisition of Wetland Reserve Easements adjacent to or in the immediate proximity of permanently protected conservation estate (i.e., state and federal lands and other wetland reserve easements).
The newly awarded FY23 Tri-state WREP project will fund restoration and protection of approximately 1500 acres. In addition, half of the total funding (i.e., $2.5M or 750 acres) will be placed in a pool to support funding of new wetland reserve easements on Historically Underserved Producer owned lands.
A new FY24 announcement of WREP funding is anticipated later this summer and the TCP looks forward to pursuing yet another opportunity to advance the tremendous conservation legacy that is Wetland Reserve Easements!