North Utica Agricultural Bank

Program Overview

The North Utica Agricultural Mitigation Bank (NUAMB) is part of the USDA/NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (Program). The Program assists agricultural producers with issues such as drowned crops and crop rot as a result of wetlands occurring in agricultural fields, and compliance issues associated with filling of agricultural wetlands. By participating in the Program and buying credits from NUAMB, agricultural producers dealing with agricultural wetlands or converted wetlands remain eligible for all USDA programs, including Crop Insurance Premium Subsidies, Wetland and Conservation Reserve Programs, and more. The NUAMB offers a limited amount of credits under the Program to offset the fill of wetlands in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska.

Benefits of Purchasing Credits

Reduced Crop Rot - Purchasing credits allows wetlands on farm property to be filled, reducing the potential for crop rot.
Doesn't Encumber Farm Property - Purchasing credits allows for the continued use of all of a farmers property.
Severs Liability - Purchasing credits transfers all mitigation responsibility to the bank owner rather than the agricultural producer.

Saves Money - Developing and maintaining a wetland often exceeds credit costs over the long term.
Saves Time - Purchasing credits takes weeks rather than months when developing a mitigation plan.
Eliminates General Financial Risk -The agricultural producer does not take any risk through the purchase of credits from the bank.

How WES Can Help

The NUAMB offers agricultural producers a solution for dealing with drowned crops or compliance issues associated with previously converted wetlands.

WES will work closely with the agricultural producer and the NRCS on resolving agricultural wetland issues.
Credit purchases through WES will ensure agricultural producers maintain eligibility for EQUIP, CRP and crop insurance while reducing risk and alleviating liability.
WES creates projects that contribute to robust and connected natural environments while providing agricultural producers ways to increase yields and streamline operations. If you have a wetland problem on your farm lets talk and see how WES can help.

Service Area

The NUAMB is near Utica, Nebraska, in Seward County. The service area for the bank covers multiple counties across Nebraska. To determine if credits are available in your area, please reach out to us! WES wants to help answer all your questions related to mitigation and the best solution for you. Whether you have issues related to service areas, credit types, ratios, or agency approvals- we are here to help.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Grant

Westervelt Ecological Services is a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant recipient tasked with the creation, enhancement, or reestablishment of rainwater basin wetlands. Bank establishment was achieved through the restoration and enhancement of wetlands on a degraded playa wetland ecosystem located in the Rainwater Basin. This area is an integral landscape to the Central Flyway and happens to be in the center of the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture program area. Mitigation activities performed at this site will target impacts to palustrine emergent temporarily flooded (PEMA) wetlands in the Rainwater Basin region.

The Bank is the first mitigation bank to be developed in Nebraska under the recently established NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program.