The Solution is Wetlands

Board of Trustees William M. Miller, Ph.D. Chair Mamadou-Abou Sarr Vice Chair Rebecca Gerchenson Treasurer Yvonne Bruce Luis Gutierrez Kunal Kapoor Lydia Link Ian McCutcheon Brad McMillan Pin Ni Ann Suker Potter Shari Rogge-Fidler Alison Taylor Matthew Walker Donald J. Wuebbles, Ph.D.

Trustees Emeriti Philip D. Block IV Lynne Dinzole Lynn B. Donaldson Peter H. Fenner Christopher D. Gould Elisha Gray Ted Haffner Ronald S. Levin Ethan Meers Richard E. Sparks, Ph.D. David L. Thomas, Ph.D. M. Jay Trees

Life Trustees Harry W. Drucker Constance T. Keller Wendy J. Paulson Brenda Shapiro Nancy Hamill Winter

State Director Michelle Carr

International Headquarters Arlington, Virginia 703-841-5300

The Nature Conservancy is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) international membership organization. Its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Nature Conservancy meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability established by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog affiliated with the Better Business Bureau.

What can sequester carbon, reduce excess nutrients running off farms, lessen flooding for communities, provide a haven for plants and animals plus add beauty to a landscape? The answer is wetlands, where even a small ecosystem can make a huge contribution. A 12-year study by Dr. Maria Lemke, TNC’s director of science for Illinois, and Krista Kirkham, TNC’s aquatic ecologist for Illinois, proves the benefits. “Adding wetlands that represent just 6 percent of the adjacent tile-drained agricultural areas reduces nitrogen runoff by nearly 50 percent,” says Lemke. “Applying this approach across the Midwest would dramatically advance local and regional conservation goals.” Illinois remains a major contributor of harmful nutrients to the Mississippi River, with runoff stripping soil of its fertility, contributing to dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and damaging wildlife habitat along the way. The wetlands in the study filtered out nutrients, soaked up floodwaters during storms and slowly released them during dry periods to stabilize the area’s hydrology—precisely as this nature-based solution is supposed to do. To avoid taking excess land out of production while maximizing the conservation benefits, the researchers also identified the optimal size for wetlands. “Even the smallest wetland showed a 15 to 38 percent reduction of nitrate, so farmers can set the size that works on their land,” states Lemke. “But we need to make it easier for them, for example by reimbursing their construction costs, because these farmers provide a valuable service to people living downstream.” The team worked with Dr. David Kovacic and Mike Wallace at the University of Illinois, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency and the local Soil and Water Conservation District to enroll wetlands on the farm into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Support was provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Conservation Service, McLean County Soil and Water Conservation District and AGREM, LLC. “Our next step is to combine wetlands with in-field practices, like timing of fertilizer application and planting cover crops, to try to reduce the footprint of these approaches,” says Lemke. “And we will help more landowners add wetlands, and their important environmental services, onto their farms.”

Printed on 100% PCW recycled, process chlorine-free paper, creating the following benefits: 52.1

trees preserved for the future 3,897.0 gal.

waterborne waste not produced 7,563.7 lbs.

net greenhouse gases prevented