Partnering Locally to Conserve our National Wetlands Heritage

Remarks prepared for delivery by Arlen L. Lancaster, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, at the Audubon South Carolina’s Francis Beidler Forest Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Easement Dedication Ceremony

Harleyville, SC
October 11, 2007

I appreciate that nice introduction, Walt [Douglas], and all you do for conservation in South Carolina. Good morning everyone. I am very pleased to be with you this morning to celebrate the Francis Beidler Forest by dedicating it as a Wetlands Reserve Program easement.

Although I have not been here before, the wonders of this place are well known. In fact, one of my staff shared with me a comment she had read regarding the Beidler Forest. It was written by a birder about a visit here. The birder wrote: “In this place, nature is allowed to do her own thing.” I have to admit I was intrigued by that. Standing here now, it seems a perfect description of this extraordinary place.

Nearly equal to the awesome wonders of the Beidler Forest is the hospitality of the National Audubon Society. I had heard that you really put out the welcome mat for visitors to the sanctuary and I find I’m in agreement. Thanks, Bob, to you and your team for making us all feel so welcomed here today.

The use of the phrase “dedication ceremony” for this morning’s event strikes me as particularly apt, since two kinds of dedication come to mind with respect to this project. First, we are here to celebrate the fact that 6,000 acres of a significant ecosystem will be protected, enhanced and restored through a permanent easement under the Wetlands Reserve Program; in other words, during this ceremony, we are dedicating these wetlands in this ancient place for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations as well as our own.

Second, we are here to celebrate the dedication of the many partners whose leadership, vision, commitment and hard work made this achievement possible, starting with Francis Beidler himself, who was the first to protect these lands when he acquired them more than a century ago, and his family, who thoughtfully preserved the property until The Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society purchased what is now the forest named in recognition of Mr. Beidler. We are fortunate at the Natural Resources Conservation Service to partner frequently with The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society on myriad wonderful projects all around the country, and are proud to join with them in this very special one, as well.

And finally, I want to be sure to acknowledge the good work of our NRCS staff here in South Carolina, along with that of many people at South Carolina Natural Resources, the Berkeley, Dorchester and Orangeburg County governments and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Their expertise, resolve and follow-through have helped ensure this unique habitat will be protected and restored.

Every worthwhile conservation effort on private lands like these begins at the local level, where stewardship priorities and opportunities are best understood and maximized. You may not be aware that more than two-thirds of land in the United States is in private hands. The number is even higher for wetlands: more than 85 percent of our Nation’s wetlands are on non-federal lands. So, if we want to effect  real change for the environment and for the future, we must begin there.

Helping private landowners and tribes help the land is our mission at NRCS, as it was for the Soil Conservation Service which preceded us. For more than 70 years, we have worked hand-in-hand with soil conservation districts to deliver voluntary planning services, in addition to technical and financial assistance, to protect, enhance or conserve natural resources on working lands.

The Wetlands Reserve Program, or WRP, is just one of many conservation programs Congress has authorized for use on private lands, but it is a critical one. The program offers eligible landowners an opportunity to address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water and related natural-resources concerns on their private lands in an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner, through easements or cost-share agreements. The easement here at Francis Beidler Forest is a permanent one and under this agreement, as with all WRP projects, the landowners—in this case, the National Audubon Society—continue to control access to the property.  

In addition to providing financial and technical assistance to acquire the easement, NRCS plans to invest as much as $250,000 in restoration activities here, to re-establish the natural hydrology of the Four Holes Swamp to approximate original conditions, before forestry and farming practices altered them. By breaching some of the artificial barriers that have been installed over time, we expect to restore the water’s natural flow to the benefit of amphibians, reptiles and other wildlife species.

Wetlands restoration projects are exciting for many reasons, not the least of which is that the response from wildlife—especially birds—is often almost immediate, so I envy those of you who are local and will have the chance to return here frequently to see the ongoing impacts of this partnership’s work in the months and years to come. Obviously, this is a special place and well worth protecting, enhancing and restoring, yet it is one of literally thousands of important wetlands nationwide that citizens think are worth fighting for.

And we are definitely fighting for them: currently, there are as many as 10,000 WRP projects on nearly two million acres in all 50 states. In the six years between 1997 and 2003, farmers and ranchers gained an average of 44,000 acres of wetlands each year. And for the first time in decades, as a result of WRP and other programs administered by USDA and the Department of the Interior—and with the help of all of you—we have moved from a “no net loss” of wetlands to a net gain across the country.

But, given that wetlands are in every county of every state, we know we want to and can do more. In April 2004, President Bush announced a new national policy to attain an overall increase of U.S. wetlands each year, with a goal to restore or create, improve, or protect at least three million wetland acres between Earth Day 2004 and 2009. Thanks to enabling legislation and funding and leverage provided by innovative public-private partnerships such as this, we are well on our way to meeting the President’s challenge.

Why, then, are we now championing these areas that for decades many considered nuisances and spent years trying to gain control of? Frankly, we are smarter than we used to be and have come to understand, as stated in a recent progress report from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, that “the Nation’s wetlands provide an array of benefits to society, and their continued ability to function and thrive affects the economic, ecological, and cultural heritage of all Americans.”

Wetlands restored through WRP and other programs range from prairie potholes to floodplains to bottomland hardwood forest. They filter out pollutants to help make our water safer. Wetlands help to prevent floods, recharge groundwater, control erosion, and protect shorelines from wave damage. They provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, along with opportunities for research, education and recreation. And, as those of us privileged to be on site today can see even with the naked eye, wetlands offer up remarkable gifts of beauty and diversity.

So, that is why today’s dedication ceremony, and all the effort that preceded it, matters so much. It matters that we are dedicating this acreage to the benefit and enjoyment of future generations, and it matters that so many people with a common vision came together to make their dream a reality. Congratulations to the community and thanks to all of you who supported this undertaking in one way or the other. I hope you will continue to partner with us on other projects that contribute to productive lands and a healthy environment. As this great project shows, lasting change begins locally; it begins with you!

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