Nearly 25 years ago, Dan and Brenda Pace enrolled two Kansas properties — a river corridor in Kingman County and a shallow playa in Meade County — into the USDA Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) program. He wanted to conserve both places “as close to their original condition as possible.”
Today, beavers, ducks, shorebirds, and native wetland plants thrive on the restored acres. The Meade site, once a mud-prone irrigated circle, now functions as a healthy playa that helps recharge the Ogallala Aquifer.
“Just seeing the wildlife and knowing it will stay that way is very satisfying,” Dan said.
Managing the easements takes some work, especially keeping invasive brush under control, but new tools like herbicide-spraying drones help him stay ahead of it. Dan says the program has been flexible and easy to work with. “The restrictions are very few,” he said.
His advice to other landowners considering WRE? “Do it. It’s good for native species, and it’s not hard if you enjoy working on the land.”
By restoring both wetlands, Dan and Brenda Pace are preserving two unique Kansas landscapes for generations to come.