South Dakota Farm Bureau has been awarded a $75,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the NRCS to develop a first-ever agricultural wetland mitigation banking system for South Dakota. Wetland mitigation means moving a wetland from a crop field to a wetland that has been created, restored, and/or enhanced. Executive Director Wayne Smith says working with the agency to develop a framework.

Smith says they expect completion by August 31, 2015. He says the grant will help them set criteria for the bank including eligibility, credits rates and trading methods.

Smith says there has been a clear need for some type of wetland mitigation bank for many years as without it the state has only seen five mitigations in the last seven years. Mitigation will also be important for farmers to remain “in compliance” now that conservation compliance has been tied to the new farm bill.