Easements

In 1958, Congress amended the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (the Duck Stamp Act), which authorized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Small Wetland Acquisition Program. Under this program, the Service has protected well over 2 million acres of wetland and grassland habitat, mostly in the duck producing areas of the Dakotas.

In the Chase Lake Wetland Management District, over 82,000 wetland and grassland acres are protected in the District by easements. Wetland easements are signed agreements with private landowners to permanently protect valuable wetlands. The landowner receives a one-time payment; protected wetland basins cannot be drained, burned, filled, or leveled. When these wetlands naturally dry up, they can be farmed, grazed or hayed. The land remains in private ownership, remains on the tax rolls, and the landowner controls access.

To learn more about wetland easements, please visit this link.

Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimited

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service