QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - SYRACUSE, NEW YORK CREP Media Contact: Dann Stuart (202) 690-0474

NEWS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Office of Communications News Room 460-A Washington, DC 20250-1300 Internet: News @usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035 World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov Release No. 0264.01 Dann Stuart (202) 690-0474 dan_stuart@wdc.usda.gov QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - SYRACUSE, NEW YORK CREP 1. What is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program? 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. Through CREP, program participants receive financial incentives to voluntarily enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in contracts of 10 to 15 years. Participants remove cropland from agricultural production and convert the land to native grasses, trees and other vegetation. CRP is authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. 2. What is the Syracuse, New York CREP? The Syracuse, New York CREP will safeguard the city's drinking water by restoring the Skaneateles Lake, one of the 11 Finger Lakes of central New York and the source of unfiltered drinking water for the 240,000 residents of Syracuse. The program will help producers install and restore riparian buffers that help prevent sediment, nutrients and pollutants from entering the lake. The buffers will protect water quality and provide wildlife habitat for a wide array of wildlife species, such as trout and pheasant. Through these and other efforts, the City of Syracuse hopes to be able to continue to comply with safe drinking water standards while avoiding the construction of a costly filtration system. 3. What areas in New York are included in the program? Producers with acreage in certain areas within the Skaneateles Lake watershed that meet the CREP and CRP eligibility requirements may offer land for enrollment. Contact your local USDA Service Center for specific information concerning your eligibility for CREP. 4. What are the goals of the Syracuse CREP? The goals of the Syracuse CREP are to: * Restore 1,000 acres of cropland or marginal pastureland that drain into the Skaneateles Lake watershed. * Reduce the risk of pathogens from animal waste applied to pasture and cropland. * In the lake and its tributaries, reduce sediment deposits attributable to cropland erosion. * Reduce nutrient runoff from animal waste and fertilizer applied to adjacent cropland and pastures. * Assist the City of Syracuse to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. * Enhance wildlife habitat. 5. What conservation measures are applicable? To better serve program goals, specific CRP conservation practices have been identified for inclusion in the program. These are: CP1 Establishment of Permanent Introduced Grasses CP2 Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses CP3 Tree Planting CP3A Hardwood Tree Planting CP6 Diversions CP8A Grassed Waterways CP15A Establishment of Permanent Vegetative Cover (Contour Grass Strips) CP21 Filter Strips CP22 Riparian Buffer CP23 Wetland Restoration 6. Who can sign up for the Syracuse CREP and for how long? Eligible producers will be able to enroll in 10- to 15-year CRP contracts. The applicant must offer eligible acreage and satisfy the basic eligibility criteria for CRP. Land must be cropland that has been cropped 2 out of the past 5 years and is physically and legally capable of being cropped. Marginal pastureland is also eligible for enrollment provided it is suitable for use as a riparian buffer planted to trees. In addition, producers enrolling the land must generally have owned or operated the land for at least 1 year prior to enrollment. 7. What are the payments under CREP? Syracuse CREP participants will be eligible for the following four types of USDA payments: * Signing Incentive Payment - a one-time payment of $100 to $150 per acre for land enrolled in a riparian buffer practice, filter strip, or grassed waterway. This payment is made soon after the contract has been signed and approved. * Practice Incentive Payment - a payment equal to about 40 percent of the eligible cost for establishing the riparian buffer practice, filter strip, or grassed waterway practice. This payment is in addition to the 50 percent cost-share assistance that USDA will provide. * Annual rental payment that is about 125 percent of the dryland cash rental rate. * Cost-share assistance for the installation of the conservation practices on land that is retired. In addition, the city will provide further cost-share assistance not to exceed 100 percent of the total eligible costs to establish eligible practices. 8. What is the cost of the Syracuse CREP? Based on the full implementation of the New York CREP, which projects an enrollment of 1,000 acres, the expected combined financial federal and city obligation will be approximately $900,000 over 15 years, with $650,000 coming from USDA and approximately $250,000 from the city of Syracuse. This does not include any costs that may be borne by producers. Syracuse's share is approximately 28 percent of the total program costs, and USDA's share is approximately 72 percent. 9. Can I still enroll in general CRP and continuous signup CRP? Yes. CREP is another option that farmers may select to enhance their land; applicants may still enroll eligible land in the regular general CRP or continuous signup CRP. However, CREP provides additional benefits not available through the general and/or continuous signup. The CREP enrollment process is on a continuous basis, and payments are at a higher effective rate. 10. Can I hay or graze my CREP land? Haying and grazing is not permitted during the CRP contract period unless USDA permits it for emergency purposes under normal CRP rules. 11. Where can I get more information about the program? Contact your county USDA Service Center, Farm Service Agency office, or your Soil and Water Conservation District office. Additional information is also available on FSA's web site: www.fsa.usda.gov