One of the most challenging programs for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), which is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This federal program is a voluntary effort by landowners to either sell a conservation easement or enter into a cost-restoration agreement with the government to protect and restore wetlands.

In California, the program has restored over 12,000 acres of wetlands since 1992. "This program pays people who have farmland, or traditionally known as farmland, as an incentive to turn the land into a wetland reserve," comments Anita Brown, Director of Public Affairs. Furthermore, an additional 5,844 acres of easements and 725 acres of restoration practices without easements in California are approved for $6.7 million in funding.

In Florida, the NRCS office has confirmed that plans are being made to restore 13,000 acres of wetlands in the Orlando area. According to program manager Jerry Joiner, the WRP has provided the state with $26 million in funding.