USDA will pay 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement and 75 percent of the restoration costs. Restoration Cost-Share Agreement . USDA will pay 75 percent of the cost of restoring a wetland in exchange for a minimum 10 year agreement to maintain the restoration. No land use payment is provided. Other agencies and private conservation organizations are encouraged to provide additional assistance for easement payment and wetland restoration costs as a way to reduce the landowner's share of the costs.
Any special partnership involved with an offer gives it a higher priority for acceptance.
A landowner must have owned the land for a year to be eligible to sell an easement. Any type of land that can be restored to a valuable wetland at a reasonable cost is eligible, except for wetlands drained in violation of Swampbuster or land established to trees under the Conservation Reserve Program. Riparian areas connecting protected wetlands and uplands adjacent to restored wetlands are also eligible for easements. A landowner continues to control access to the land. The land may be leased for hunting, fishing, and other compatible recreational activities.