MONROE - Wisconsin will receive nearly $7 million more in funding for an additional 15 easements in the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program.
The extra funds bring the state up to about $27 million for 38 to 40 easements.
Renae Anderson, spokesperson at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Madison, said Thursday the state "did so well in developing high quality applications" that it was awarded the extra funds.
The first national sign-up for floodplain easements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 went to 289 applications. The easements included more than 36,000 acres of land in 36 states.
Wisconsin received the second highest amount in the nation, $19.7 million for 4,040 acres in 23 applications, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in June. Only Iowa received more money, $24.1 million for 4,240 acres in 42 applications.
The easements in Wisconsin are clustered along the Sugar River in Rock and Green counties, the Pecatonica River in Lafayette County, the Baraboo River in Columbia County and the Kickapoo River in Vernon County.
All these rivers had significant flooding in recent years.
"We have just received our funds, and have made offers to the applicants. As applicants notify us of their acceptance, we begin going through the process of establishing a legal easement on the properties. When the easement is final, it will be filed at the county land records office, and at that point it is public," Anderson said.
"Possibly some cases will be done by November. Our goal is to have all the easements completed by February," she added.
The tremendous interest and response in the program "underscores the need to restore flood-prone areas to their natural state," Vilsack said.
USDA received $145 million in the ARRA to acquire floodplain easements and restore the land to its natural state, while helping maintain jobs in rural America. Land with the greatest benefit to protect against future floods, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and reduce the need for future disaster assistance were enrolled.
The funding allows USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to acquire permanent easements on private land, or certain land owned by units of state and local governments, that have been damaged by flooding at least once in the past 12 months or twice in the past 10 years. Once the easements have been established, NRCS will fund conservation work necessary to restore the land to its natural state.
Landowners retain several rights to the property, including quiet enjoyment, control of public access and undeveloped recreational use such as hunting and fishing.
During this ARRA floodplain easement sign-up, USDA received more than 4,200 applications, totaling more than $1.4 billion and representing 479,000 acres of flood-prone land in 47 states and territories.
Wisconsin had 254 applications from landowners for 14,707 acres to be put into easements during the sign-up.
The extra funds bring the state up to about $27 million for 38 to 40 easements.
Renae Anderson, spokesperson at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Madison, said Thursday the state "did so well in developing high quality applications" that it was awarded the extra funds.
The first national sign-up for floodplain easements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 went to 289 applications. The easements included more than 36,000 acres of land in 36 states.
Wisconsin received the second highest amount in the nation, $19.7 million for 4,040 acres in 23 applications, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in June. Only Iowa received more money, $24.1 million for 4,240 acres in 42 applications.
The easements in Wisconsin are clustered along the Sugar River in Rock and Green counties, the Pecatonica River in Lafayette County, the Baraboo River in Columbia County and the Kickapoo River in Vernon County.
All these rivers had significant flooding in recent years.
"We have just received our funds, and have made offers to the applicants. As applicants notify us of their acceptance, we begin going through the process of establishing a legal easement on the properties. When the easement is final, it will be filed at the county land records office, and at that point it is public," Anderson said.
"Possibly some cases will be done by November. Our goal is to have all the easements completed by February," she added.
The tremendous interest and response in the program "underscores the need to restore flood-prone areas to their natural state," Vilsack said.
USDA received $145 million in the ARRA to acquire floodplain easements and restore the land to its natural state, while helping maintain jobs in rural America. Land with the greatest benefit to protect against future floods, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and reduce the need for future disaster assistance were enrolled.
The funding allows USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to acquire permanent easements on private land, or certain land owned by units of state and local governments, that have been damaged by flooding at least once in the past 12 months or twice in the past 10 years. Once the easements have been established, NRCS will fund conservation work necessary to restore the land to its natural state.
Landowners retain several rights to the property, including quiet enjoyment, control of public access and undeveloped recreational use such as hunting and fishing.
During this ARRA floodplain easement sign-up, USDA received more than 4,200 applications, totaling more than $1.4 billion and representing 479,000 acres of flood-prone land in 47 states and territories.
Wisconsin had 254 applications from landowners for 14,707 acres to be put into easements during the sign-up.