WRP- Yes it Floods! Understanding Midwestern Land Programs
Hey Rod. Hope all is well down in Iowa! Thanks for all the useful information on WRP. I had heard of the program but didn't know any of the details or how it worked because I haven't dealt with that program. Thanks again!
WRP- Yes it Floods!Posted by // April 1, 2010If you have been looking for recreational land in the Midwest you have probably come across a few listings that have some or all of the tract in Wetland Reserve Program or “WRP”. The thing that got you to look at the listing in the first place was probably the lower sticker price. They are priced that way for a reason and I want to explain why and how you can use that to your advantage.
WRP is a lot less common than CRP so most people aren’t familiar with the program and how it functions. Some of the best soils are in the river bottoms and originally some of these areas were wetland and served as an important wildlife habitat and a run-off filter for soil and water. Many of these acres were tiled and tilled over the years to expand farming operations. In the 1990 Farm Bill the federal government added the Wetlands Reserve Program which was designed to protect water and soil quality through the restoration of these natural filters.
Here is how it works. A landowner submits their property to be part of this program. If their property is deemed by the NRCS to be a crucial part of the soil and water conservation of that area, they will be made an offer. There are 3 different types of easements or contracts.
Permanent Easements – pay 100% of the agricultural land value and 100% const share for the restoration
30 Year Easements – Pay 75% of the agricultural land value and 75% cost share for the restoration
10 Year Contracts – Pay 75% of the cost share only.
(http://www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/Guide.html)
It is important to note that this does not make the land public, it just changes how the land can be used. There are specific rules for each contract but basically you can no longer use the land for anything agriculturally related. It limits the use to pure recreation.
If you can’t generate any income from the property then why buy it? That brings us back to that low sticker price that got you reading this article in the first place. The price of land will always be a result of the income it can generate. This income is usually in the form of crops but in today’s market it is also tied to the value of recreational opportunities. The WRP tract cannot generate any agricultural income, so the price gets lowered to the pure recreational value.
This is the real opportunity for recreational buyers. Rather than competing with the farmers and homebuilders, you are the only ones in the market. Because of this smaller market size, you can maximize your acres per dollar.
Now that you have decided to buy a WRP tract, what can I do with it from a habitat perspective? It is probably going to get some kind of flooding on it in the spring otherwise it wouldn’t be in the program, so that is going to come into play when you are looking at the types of food sources you can plant. You are probably going to be doing all your planting in the late summer. The one big advantage you have is that the soils in WRP tracts are typically some of the best soil you can get so anything you plant should grow really well. The next challenge is going to be altering any of the bottom ground timber that is on the piece. It is important to get as much diversity in the open timber to increase the number of deer on the property and allow you to move to your stand locations undetected.
When you purchase a tract through www.landandgame.com we will provide you with an extensive habitat plan to show you how you can maximize every acre and significantly increase your odds of success. Below are a few of the WRP tracts we have for sale, feel free to give us a call for more information.
<!--EndFragment-->
Copyright © 2007-2009 Rod White Land and Game Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Iowa Hunting Land | Farms For Sale In Missouri | Illinois Land For Sale | Trophy Whitetail Properties | Iowa Farms For Sale | Buy Illinois Land | Southeast Iowa Land For Sale | Hunting Land For Sale In Missouri | Midwest Whitetail Land | Southern Iowa Land For Sale | Iowa Big Buck Properties | Pike County Land | Whitetail Properties | Buy Iowa Land | Iowa Deer Hunting Land | Hunting Property For Sale | Iowa Whitetails
Rod White is a registered and licensed real estate agent in Iowa and Missouri with Cramer Real Estate, a Keokuk, Iowa based real estate agency that is additionally licensed as a brokerage in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Rod White Land and Game Company, LLC is a web-based marketing service that provides services in the areas of habitat improvement, the advertisement of the leasing of hunting rights for and by landowners, and showcases and features properties for sale or auction by licensed real estate agents and licensed auctioneers where applicable with Cramer Real Estate. All listings are provided by and through Cramer Real Estate, 2015 Main St., Keokuk, IA 52632. The main office number for the brokerage is (319) 524-1684.
Additionally, Rod White Land and Game Company, LLC makes no claims to be an independent real estate company. All property listings for Rod White are provided by and through Cramer Real Estate, 2015 Main St., Keokuk, IA 52632. The main office number for the brokerage is (319) 524-1684.
The information provided herein is deemed accurate, but subject to errors, omissions, price changes, prior sale or withdrawal. Cramer Real Estate do not guarantee or are anyway responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. Please verify all facts with the affiliate.
Cramer Realty, Inc.
2015 Main Street, Keokuk , IA 52632
Phone: 319-524-1684
Licensed in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri
Rod White
Iowa and Missouri Recreational Property Specialist
The Rod White Land and Game Company
www.LandAndGame.com
rwhite@landandgame.com
Fax: 888-228-6786
Cell: 319-217-0392
Rod White is a licensed
real estate broker and owner of
Land And Home Realty, LLC.
215 W. Washington St.
Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
Cell: 319-217-0392
Office: 319-385-3833
Main Office 319-524-1684
Licensed in Iowa and Missouri
Comments(0)