Condition of Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Easements in Illinois

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.