Release No. 1405.01

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or CREP (pronounced "krep") is a federal-state land retirement conservation program targeted to address state and nationally significant agriculture-related environmental problems. This program uses financial incentives to encourage farmers and ranchers to voluntary enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in contracts of 10 to 15 years to remove lands from agricultural production. CRP is authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended.

CREP is a federal and state partnership agreement to retire environmentally sensitive land through the CRP. The North Dakota CREP involves the creation of 1,000 conservation CoverLocks that provide important wildlife habitat, water quality, soil erosion, and recreational benefits.

A CoverLock is simply a new label for a kind of wildlife habitat development that brings together critical cover components in a small space for a long period of time. A 20-acre CoverLock includes three on-ground components: a five-acre winter tree block planting, 10-acres of herbaceous cover, and a five-acre winter food plot, all designed to improve life for wildlife.

Landowners can offer land in a portion of the 6 watersheds that meet the eligibility requirements identified for the North Dakota CREP. The watersheds are:

• Beaver Creek
• Heart River
• Western Wild Rice
• Upper Domes
• Knife River
• Grand River

These watersheds are located in the counties of Adams. Dickey, Dunn, Emmons, Grant, Hettinger, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Mercer, Morton, Oilver, Sargent, and Stark.

The goals of the North Dakota CREP are to:

1. To voluntarily secure 1,000 20-acre CoverLocks of vital wildlife habitat that will enhance water quality and reduce soil erosion.
   
2. To secure voluntary public access agreements on the CoverLocks and a minimum of 140 acres adjacent to the CoverLocks in easements.

Specific CRP conservation practices have been identified for inclusion in the program to better serve program goals. These are:

• CP16 Shelterbelts
• CP12 Foodplots
• CP4D Wildlife Habitat

Eligible producers will be able to enroll in 14 to 15-year CRP contracts. Producers may extend the benefits of the program through a separate easement agreement with the State. The applicant must be able to offer eligible acreage. The applicant also must satisfy the basic eligibility criteria for CRP. Land must be cropland that has been cropped 2 out of the past 5 years and that is physically and legally capable of being cropped. Persons who have an existing CRP contract or an approved offer with a contract pending are not eligible for CREP until that contract expires.

North Dakota CREP participants will be eligible for four types of payments being made by USDA:

• Signing Incentive Payment (SIP), a one time payment of $140 to $150 per acre for land enrolled in shelterbelt practice. This payment is made soon after the contract has been signed.
• Practice Incentive Payment (PIP), equal to about 40 percent of the total cost for establishing the practice will also be made. The PIP is in addition to the 50 percent cost-share assistance that FSA will provide.
• Annual rental payments, generally, the payment will be 120 percent of the CRP dryland cash rental rate for the county in which the land is located.
• Cost-share assistance for the installation of the conservation practices on land that is retired.
• North Dakota will also pay the costs associated with securing a easement and the remaining installation costs for conservation practices.

If the projected 160,000 acres are enrolled, the cost will be approximately $43 million over 15 years, with $20 million coming from the federal government and $23 million coming from the state.

Yes. CREP is another option that farmers may select to enhance their land; applicants may still enroll in the regular general CRP or continuous sign-up CRP. However, CREP provides additional benefits not available through the general and/or continuous sign-up. The CREP enrollment process is on a continuous basis and payments are generally higher that general CRP.

Haying and grazing are not permitted during the CRP contract period unless USDA permits it for emergency purposes under normal CRP rules.

Contact the county U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center, Farm Service Agency local office, Soil and Water Conservation District, or State of North Dakota Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Interested farmers can learn about the program by contacting their local Farm Service Agency offices or visiting website: www.fsa.usda.gov

Additional information can also be found at website: http://www.gov.state.nd.us

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