USDA to Restore and Protect Flood-Prone Lands Nationwide with Economic Recovery Funding

Updated: March 26, 2009
Contact: Larry Beeler, 515-323-2235

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $145 million to eligible landowners nationwide through the floodplain easement component of its Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. Iowa landowners could receive up to $30 million of these funds, which will be used to restore an estimated 60,000 acres nationwide of frequently flooded land to its natural state and create jobs.

Eligible landowners can sign up for these easements until April 10 at their local USDA Service Center, said Rich Sims, state conservationist with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Iowa. Landowners who applied after this summer’s flooding will not need to reapply, he said.

“These monies are in addition to the $56 million Iowa NRCS received last year,” said Sims.

The new funding, obtained from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, includes both technical and financial assistance to restore the easements. All funds will be spent on targeted projects that can be completed with economic stimulus monies. The goal is to have all floodplain easements acquired and restored within 12-18 months.

The EWP Program’s floodplain easement component allows USDA-NRCS to purchase easements on lands damaged by flooding. The restored floodplain will generate many public benefits, such as increased flood protection, enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality, and a reduced need for future public disaster assistance. Other benefits include reduced energy consumption when certain agricultural activities and practices are eliminated and increased carbon sequestration as permanent vegetative cover is re-established.

Interested landowners can contact their local USDA Service Center for more information about the EWP Program floodplain easements during the signup. For information about EWP Program floodplain easements, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/Floodplain/index.html.

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