The United States of America, acting through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), purchases conservation easements to assist the landowners in restoring, protecting and enhancing wetlands. These lands may be placed under a conservation easement through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program -Wetland Reserve Easement Component (ACEP-WRE).

The purpose of ACEP-WRE is to protect, restore, and enhance the functions and values of wetland ecosystems and lands enrolled are farmed or converted wetlands, former or degraded wetlands, agricultural lands that altered by flooding or soil saturation and water table elevation as a result of offsite or subsurface hydrologic changes, riparian areas, or land currently or previously enrolled in the conservation reserve program (CRP). Previously restored lands and adjacent lands are also included in the areas enrolled in ACEP-WRE.

NRCS plans to obtain an Areawide Market Analysis (AWMA) for an initial fiscal year (FY) and subsequent annual recertifications or AWMA amendments for each following FY not to exceed 4 additional years beyond the base year.