WRP/WRE Management

Tools for Managing Wetlands & Bottomland Hardwoods

The  Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), transitioning in 2014 to the Wetland Reserve Easements program or “WRE“, is arguably the most significant and successful habitat restoration effort ever established in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). Today, for example, well over 700,000 marginal cropland acres have been restored to functioning wetland habitat in the MAV of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Established in 1990, the WRP/WRE now enjoys hundreds of thousands of acres of both flooded wetlands and developing bottomland hardwood (BHW) forest plantations.

The success of WRP/WRE has also created a significant need and demand for support in managing shallow wetland and BHW forests. In BHW plantations for example, natural plant succession results in canopy closure and sparse understory vegetation. These conditions often persist until competition-induced mortality occurs or the stand incurs catastrophic changes, such as wind-throw. Forest treatment, such as commercial or non-commercial thinning may be needed in many stands to meet WRP/WRE program objectives. Along with forest stand considerations, emergent wetlands and moist soil units also require management to meet program goals such as periodic disturbance to maintain conditions ideal for waterfowl and other wetland birds.

The following information has been developed to support private landowners, as well as state, federal and non-government organization (NGO) partners, in addressing ongoing management of WRP/WRE. 

Managing Your Wetland Reserve Easement 7-part Video Series

This video series posted on YouTube was produced by the Tri-state Conservation Partnership and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and can be found at the AR, LA, and MS NRCS YouTube channels. The series covers:

• Introduction to WRE

• Landowner Opportunities

• Habitat Succession

• Managing Moist Soil Impoundments

• Managing Other Wetlands

• Managing Your WRE Timber

• Forest Management Planning & Treatment

Video information pages for AR, LA & MS are provided in the following links for download and printing. The pages contain both a QR code and URL information for accessing the videos and other management documents recommended in the videos:

• Arkansas NRCS

• Louisiana NRCS

• Mississippi NRCS

First Entry Assessment Tool (Thinning)

The First Entry Treatment Assessment Tool (shown on right) developed by the Tri-state Conservation Partnership at the request of NRCS, provides straightforward guidance in evaluating young stands and reasonable next steps regarding thinning. It is intended to support NRCS natural resource professionals and cooperating conservation partners with addressing wildlife habitat concerns in a manner which is compatible with or furthers ACEP-WRE priority wildlife and other objectives. These recommendations also are available in a landowner-friendly, summarized Landowner Guide brochure, as shown below.

Habitat Improvements in Hardwood Plantations

When active management is determined to be appropriate, it is recommended that stands should be manipulated with the primary goal of creating Desired Forest Conditions for Wildlife (DFCW; 18MB), such as increasing complexity of forest structure and diversity, as described by LMVJV Forest Resource Conservation Working Group (2007).

Guide to Noncommercial Treatments in WRE Plantations

This Landowner Guide to Noncommercial Treatments serves as the third publication in this series and is designed to address WRE plantations that are ready for treatment and commercial harvest options are not available. It also provides further detail on the non-commercial treatment alternatives presented in Appendix 2 of the booklet, Tool for Assessment and Treatment of Reforested Bottomland Hardwood Stands on WRE.

Wetland Management for Waterfowl: A Handbook

This Wetland Management Handbook covers wetland types common to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, wetland management strategies for food and habitat, specifics of management for Wood Ducks, and an identification guide for common moist soil plants that are of value to wildlife.