LEWISTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Maine has nearly $1,000,000 available to protect, restore and enhance wetlands through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), announces NRCS District Conservationist Lance Gorham.

Applications are accepted year round. However, applications received by March 1  will be considered for the first round of funding in 2011. Applications received after that date will be considered in subsequent rounds of funding if funds remain available.

“Maine has received funding to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands” explains Gorham. “We will be working closely with other partners to ensure that Androscoggin, Sagadahoc and Oxford counties’ private landowners are aware of this unique opportunity and they understand the benefits from participating in WRP.”

Interested landowners in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties should visit their local NRCS office at the USDA Service Center, 254 Goddard Road, or call Gorham, at 753-9400.

Landowners in Oxford County should contact the NRCS office at the USDA Service Center, 17 Olson Road, Suite 2, South Paris, or call Peter Marcinuk, resource conservationist, at 743-5789. Additional information on the Wetland Reserve Program is available at www.me.nrcs.usda.gov.