wREForest+
Generating Benefits for Landowners Through Reforestation
Open to Arkansas landowners with NRCS permanent Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) recently closed or scheduled to close.
Our Mission
To restore and protect Arkansas lands while supporting landowners and communities.
Our Goals
Restore marginal cropland in Arkansas into thriving forests with permanent conservation easements held and managed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Demonstrate that reforestation on Arkansas WRE properties is a cost-effective way to generate financial benefits for landowners.
Enhance the environmental, social, and economic well-being of local communities and landowners.
Create shared revenue opportunities from the restoration efforts for participating landowners.
What Makes wREForest+ Different?
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REF partners with private supporters to provide landowners with a one-time, upfront stewardship incentive payment. REF manages and covers all costs associated with documenting and reporting measured environmental outcomes over the life of the project.
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Ongoing monitoring, tracking, quantifying, verifying, documenting and reporting of environmental and community outcomes for the life of the project (40 years) by REF – at no cost to landowners.
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Land rights for hunting, recreation, and potential generation of additional income as provided in the NRCS WRE.
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Such as programs for soil health, water quality and quantity, and improved wildlife habitat, if they become available.
Landowner Benefits
A one-time, upfront, per-acre stewardship incentive
Land rights for hunting and creation for generating additional incomes
Conservation easements are held, managed & monitored by NRCS in perpetuity
Ability to participate in future conservation recognition programs, such as for water quality and quantity, soil health and wildlife habitat improvement
Enrollment Requirements
Open to Arkansas landowners with NRCS permanent Wetland Reserve Easements recently closed or scheduled to close and trees have not been planted.
Landowners must sign a Green Attributes Agreement with Restore the Earth Foundation (REF). The GAA is subordinate to the terms of the WRE agreement and will go into effect after the WRE is successfully closed. It allows REF to fund and perform the activities required to track, quantify, verify, document, and report environmental and community outcomes generated over the life of the project. The GAA assigns environmental attributes associated with the restoration to REF for program administration purposes.
Landowners must verify the land has not been forested in the past 10 years.
Must be owners of privately held land.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There are three enrollment requirements to participate in this program:
Landowners must sign a Green Attributes Agreement with Restore the Earth Foundation (REF). This agreement allows REF to fund and perform the activities required to track, quantify, verify, document, and report environmental and community outcomes generated over the life of the project. The GAA assigns environmental attributes associated with the restoration to REF for program administration purposes.
Landowners must verify the land has not been forested in the past 10 years.
Must be owners or privately held land.
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Focused on reforestation of marginal cropland across Arkansas.
REF is partnered with NRCS who are uniquely positioned to establish, hold and manage permanent conservation easements.
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A one-time, upfront per acre stewardship incentive payment from REF.
Land rights for recreation and generating additional revenues, e.g. hunting leases.
Land is reforested at no cost to the landowner.
Ongoing qualifying, verifying, quantifying, monitoring and reporting of the environmental and community outcomes for the 40–80-year life of the project at no cost to the landowner.
Easements held, managed and monitored by NRCS in perpetuity.
Opportunity to benefit from future conservation recognition programs related to water quality, soil health, and habitat improvements, if available.
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The plan you develop with NRCS identifies the activities necessary to restore, enhance, protect, maintain, and manage the easement. You continue to control access to the land – and may lease the land – for hunting, fishing, and other undeveloped recreational activities.
At any time, you may request that additional activities be evaluated to determine if they are compatible uses for the site.
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Once your eligibility has been determined, NRCS will discuss with you the eligible area and surrounding areas necessary to enroll to restore and sustain the ecosystem.
The objectives are to improve wildlife habitat, water quality and groundwater recharge, reduce flooding and mitigate disaster damages.
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At Restore the Earth Foundation, we assume 100% of the costs for establishing data baselines and documenting, verifying, monitoring and reporting environmental and community outcomes over the life of the project, generally 40 years.
You receive benefits that would not be possible or economically feasible without the support of Restore the Earth Foundation and its partnership with the NRCS.
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A successful reforestation project will restore land back to its healthy ecological state, and generate environmental benefits, such as improved air and water quality, enhanced soil quality, restored native vegetation, and increased wildlife and biodiversity. These benefits are also known as green attributes.
In addition to generating green attributes, REF’s reforestation projects also provide social and economic co-benefits such as job creation, community resilience, and recreation.
At the beginning of a project, REF records the baseline conditions. Following restoration, REF measures and quantifies the different green attributes and co-benefits generated from the restoration.