COSTS OF AN AGRICULTURAL WETLAND RESERVE

The Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 included a Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). Eligibility and costs for wetland restoration were estimated using data from several large data bases. Estimated minimum costs increased from $286 million for a 1-million-acre reserve to $3.8 billion for 5 million acres, drawn from 55.2 million acres of eligible cropland. The use of eight regional bidding pools increased total costs 32 percent over a single national pool. Proportional enrollment was the most expensive of three simulated strategies. Enrollment patterns and costs per acre for USDA's nine-state pilot program differed from simulated strategies.