Are Landowners Willing to Restore Wetlands for Carbon Sequestration?
Prairie potholes have only been recently recognized as an important avenue for carbon sequestration, and as a result, CO2 emitters are only beginning to understand the potential for sequestration offered by wetlands for CO2 emission offsets. However, numerous wetland and grassland habitats on private lands have been restored in the Prairie Pothole Region through programs sponsored by federal, state, and private entities. The most notable restoration programs include the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for the Fish and Wildlife Program, and conservation activities of Ducks Unlimited Canada. Collectively, these programs have enabled the restoration of 2 million hectares of habitats in the U.S. portion of the region. This demonstrates that, given proper incentives, private landowners have been willing to restore wetlands and grasslands.
