To provide financial assistance to develop a wetland mitigation bank with credits acceptable for use in USDA wetland compliance under the wetland mitigation banking program (WMBP).

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) received a $981,488 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) under the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (CFDA 10.933), awarded September 8, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2029. The grant funds the development and establishment of a wetland mitigation bank in Wisconsin that will generate tradeable credits acceptable for agricultural producer compliance under USDA wetland conservation requirements, commonly known as Swampbuster compliance. These credits enable agricultural producers to offset wetland impacts from drainage and related activities while maintaining eligibility for USDA farm program benefits.

Under this award, WDNR will develop the operational and management infrastructure necessary to establish a functional mitigation banking system, including credit creation mechanisms, ledger management systems, and annual reporting capabilities. The project supports the creation of a qualified third-party wetland banking operation with NRCS oversight, requiring WDNR to submit annual credit ledgers documenting bank deposits and withdrawals by November 15 each year. This award represents part of NRCS's broader effort to expand wetland mitigation banking capacity in priority states with significant wetland resources and conservation compliance demand.