Seneca County Farm Service Agency reminds landowners and farm operators that compliance with USDA wetland conservation provisions is required to maintain program benefits.
Farm Bill regulations specify producers must be in compliance with wetland provisions to receive program payments under the Direct and Counter Cyclical Program, Average Crop Revenue Election Program, Conservation Reserve Program and most other FSA programs.
Many areas of Seneca County have soils that are considered wetlands. Areas identified by the Natural Resources Conservation Service as wetlands cannot be destroyed or drained. In many instances, woodlots in the county are classified by NRCS as wetlands and landowners or farm operators are not permitted to destroy or clear the woodlot for crops.
Producers who have areas not being farmed such as woodlots, pastures, old farmsteads and fencerows may have those areas evaluated by NRCS to determine whether the acreage is a wetland. Failure to have the area evaluated before making it possible to farm the land (clearing trees, for example) will cause a violation. To have an area evaluated, producers must file an appropriate form with FSA.
For more information, call (419) 447-7071, ext. 2, or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pas.
