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MEDIA RELEASE Farm Service Agency Public Affairs Staff 1400 Independence Ave SW Stop 0506, Room 3624-South Washington, D.C. 20250-0506
Release No. 1403.09
Jonathan Groveman (202) 720-4178
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jan. 22, 2009 - Farm Service Agency (FSA) acting Administrator Carolyn Cooksie announced that USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the State of Hawaii have entered into a new Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) agreement to improve water quality and quantity, increase groundwater recharge, enhance wildlife, control invasive species, and improve near-shore coral reef health and diversity by filtering agricultural runoff.
"USDA is proud to collaborate with the State of Hawaii on this important agreement that will improve the state's water quality and wildlife habitat. It will protect the Hawaiian Islands' vital watersheds and riparian areas on marginal pastureland and cropland," Cooksie said.
The agreement is for the six main islands: Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai and Oahu. The goal is to enroll up to 15,000 acres of marginal pastureland (MPL) and cropland, with 2,000 of these acres being targeted for enrollment as forest restoration practices and 13,000 acres targeted for wetland resources practices.
The signup start date for this voluntary program is expected to be announced soon. Farmers and ranchers will be able to apply for this program with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at their local County FSA offices. FSA will administer the Hawaii State CREP project on behalf of CCC, working with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, as well as with other State CREP partner agencies. Enrollment on the islands will be phased over a five-year period and contracts will be offered for 14- or 15-year durations according to the following schedule:
- Years 1 & 2: Islands of Hawaii and Maui
- Year 3: Islands of Molokai and Lanai (and above islands)
- Year 4: Island of Kauai (and above islands)
- Year 5: Island of Oahu (and above islands)
Enrollment for all years is contingent upon continued legal authority in federal law for new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, the 15,000 acre Hawaii CREP project total enrollment ceiling, and the availability of funds.
This agreement is aimed at improving water quality in stream systems, increasing groundwater recharge, restoring forests and native species' habitats, controlling the spread of invasive species, and enhancing near shore coastal and coral reef health. Hawaii State Departments of Land and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Health, and the University of Hawaii system will join with local Watershed Partnerships and other organizations to support the goals of Hawaii CREP and will offer incentives to participants for installing riparian buffers, wetlands and forest restoration practices.
The following national CRP conservation practices will be made available for eligible land focusing on water resource improvement:
- Riparian Buffer, CP22 (eligible on cropland and marginal pastureland MPL)
- Wetland Restoration, Floodplains, CP23 (for cropland only)
- Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplains, CP23A (for cropland only)
- Rare and Declining Habitat, CP25 (for cropland only)
- Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffer, CP29 (for MPL only)
- Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer, CP30 (for MPL only)
The following national CRP conservation practices will be made available for eligible land focusing on forest restoration:
- Hardwood Tree Planting, CP3A (for cropland only)
- Rare and Declining Habitat, CP25 (for cropland only)
Under the Hawaii CREP, participants will receive annual rental payments as well as one-time incentive payments from CCC and the State of Hawaii for voluntarily enrolling land in contracts and installing conservation practices. The CCC will also pay up to 50 percent of the cost of installing conservation practices, which have been specialized to meet Hawaii's unique natural resource conditions and CREP goals.
Federal annual rental payment rates for cropland will be based on the CRP-posted rental rates for cropland, currently ranging from $140 to $270 per acre. Federal annual rental payments for MPL will be based on $43 per acre, with an increased rate equivalent to the current posted CRP MPL (currently posted at $72 per acre) and available for eligible MPL located within or immediately adjacent to critical or recovery habitat for threatened and endangered species as designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The total cost of the Hawaii State CREP over the life of the project is estimated at $67 million for a total enrollment of 15,000 acres. The State of Hawaii will contribute approximately 20 percent, or $13.4 million, as support of the overall program cost.
A component of the CRP, CREP is a federal-state natural resources conservation program that addresses state and nationally significant agricultural-related environmental concerns. Under CREP, program participants receive financial incentives from CCC to voluntarily enroll in contracts of 10 to 15 years. Participants remove cropland and MPL from agricultural production and convert the land to native trees, shrubs, grasses, and other vegetation or wetland restoration measures. The CRP is authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. FSA administers CRP on behalf of CCC.
For more information regarding the Hawaii CREP please visit the FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
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