The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) authorizes up to $145 million nationwide for Emergency Watershed Protection Program floodplain easements and up to $30 million in any one state.
The purpose of this funding is to acquire floodplain easements on eligible lands and to restore their floodplain functions and values to natural conditions to the greatest extent practical. These lands will be acquired and restored in an accelerated manner in order to address critical resource concerns and to help stimulate the economy.
The Landowner easement compensation payment will be based on a market analysis or survey and will be no more than the amount corresponding to a geographic cap or the offer by the landowner, whichever is less. Landowners can view the geographic rate cap, which establishes the maximum easement payment NRCS will pay for the corresponding county, eligible area maps, market analysis maps (available on or about March 27), and other program information, on the NRCS Kentucky Web page: http://www.ky.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
Landowners can enroll their land under a permanent easement for a lump sum easement payment and receive up to 100 percent of the wetland restoration costs. Eligible lands include farmed lands that flood from overland or backwater flooding from the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and lands that would be inundated or adversely impacted as a result of a dam breach (select areas below dams in Fleming, Lincoln, and Logan sounties). Other adjacent land may also be offered.
See your local district conservationist to determine if your land qualifies. Our office is located at NRCS, 253C Hopkinsville Road, Russellville or telephone 270-726-2618 ext 3 for more information.
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