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Landowner Satisfaction with the Wetlands Reserve Program in Wisconsin

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Abstract

We evaluated ecological monitoring data and landowner perceptions to the federally funded Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in a three-county region in Wisconsin. We surveyed landowner satisfaction, involvement, participation, and use of the WRP restoration sites. We found that landowners are satisfied with the overall program (mean, 3.6 ± 0.2 [SE], on a scale of 1–5, with 5 being completely satisfied). WRP restorations significantly increased the area of wetland within the sites surveyed, the increase was primarily of fresh meadow (736.32 ha after restoration). Satisfaction is related to landowner participation during restoration and to the economic incentives provided by the WRP, Landowner satisfaction and the number of plant communities after restoration are unrelated to each other or to restoration and easement costs per hectare. Survey participants recommended some changes to the WRP, including a reduction in the tax rate of land enrolled in the WRP, approval for permanent deer stands, and increased communication with WRP officials during the restoration. Monitoring information collected for WRP restoration sites does not allow assessment of whether WRP sites are functionally equivalent to natural sites. We suggest that the WRP require a more rigorous monitoring program, including guidelines for invasive species control. Managers should also encourage collaborations with external researchers and consider restorations within an experimental framework.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all survey participants. We are grateful to personnel at the Wisconsin NRCS, G. Kidd and A. Peña, for providing access to the WRP data and for their assistance. J. Zedler initially suggested we explore the WRP in Wisconsin. P. Nowak, S. Dodson, I. Woo., and J. Ruwaldt reviewed early versions of the manuscript Portions of this work have been supported by NSF/IGERT Grant 9870703, Human Dimensions of Social and Aquatic System Interactions. Financial support to H. Morzaria-Luna was provided by CONACyT (Scholarship 134519). E. J. Clairain, J. Gosselink, S. Kercher, and an anonymous reviewer provided valuable suggestions about this paper.

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Author notes

  1. Hem Nalini Morzaria–Luna

    Present address: Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos, A.C. Apartado Postal 53, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, C.P. 83550, México

  2. Brack Hale

    Present address: Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Ken Forshay

  2. Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Hem Nalini Morzaria–Luna

  3. Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Brack Hale

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Katie Predick

Authors
  1. Ken Forshay
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  2. Hem Nalini Morzaria–Luna
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  3. Brack Hale
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Correspondence to Ken Forshay.

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Forshay, K., Morzaria–Luna, H.N., Hale, B. et al. Landowner Satisfaction with the Wetlands Reserve Program in Wisconsin. Environmental Management 36, 248–257 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0093-y

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