Work is now underway at a playa wetland on the East Table, east of Merna, that has been enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program.
"It made financial sense," said the land owner. The land is several miles from the couple's residence, and they had been considering doing something else with it.
"I wanted it to be a permanent walk-in for hunters," he said.
An added benefit is that he will no longer have to drive large farm equipment the distance to the land in order to grow a crop, easing his workload some.
"Lots of ducks and geese do like there," the land-owner said, as he has noticed that the playa is a regular resting place for birds.
The site comprises 160 acres of formerly farmed cropland where corn and soybeans had been raised. The center-pivot system was removed on October 14th. Markers were recently placed on the site boundary.
Earthwork will be done to deepen the playa and to provide an optimum configuration suitable for migratory birds.
Official enrollment of the playa in the WRP will occur in March 2012. This is the first project of this sort at the playa wetland area of eastern Custer County.