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. 0447qa.04
Julie Quick (202) 720-4623
Jillene Johnson (202) 720-9733
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - THE OHIO SCIOTO RIVER WATERSHED
CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Oct. 18, 2004
1. What is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program?
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a
federal-state natural resource conservation program that
addresses state and nationally significant agricultural
related environmental problems. Under CREP, program
participants receive financial incentives from USDA’s Farm
Service Agency (FSA) to voluntarily enroll in the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in contracts of up to
15-years. Participants remove cropland and marginal
pastureland 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 Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP?
The Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP targets the enrollment
of 70,000 acres of land in 31 counties in the Scioto River
Watershed. Of this amount, 5,000 acres are targeted for
voluntary permanent conservation easements granted to the
State of Ohio.
The program is a cooperative project among landowners, FSA,
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and local
Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). Other
partners include the City of Columbus, the Nature
Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited Pheasants Forever, the Ohio
Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio State University Extension.
3. What are the potential benefits of the Ohio Scioto
River Watershed CREP?
The program will reduce agricultural pollution, soil
erosion and the risk of downstream flooding throughout the
watershed. This will improve drinking water for Columbus
and surrounding communities. The program will help restore
wildlife habitat for abundant species, including 33
threatened or endangered fish and mussel species. In
addition, the CREP will reduce atmospheric emissions by
sequestering soil carbon and may help reduce hypoxia in the
Gulf of Mexico.
4. What are the goals?
The goals of the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP are to:
* Enroll 70,000 acres of eligible cropland and marginal
pastureland into CREP for the establishment of grass filter
strips, controlled drainage water management components,
riparian forest buffers, wetlands and wildlife habitat;
* Seek 5,000 acres of state permanent conservation
easements through state and private contributions;
* Improve the quality of public drinking water supplies in
Columbus, Ohio, and surrounding communities;
* Ensure that water quality standards are in accordance
with the Clean Water Act;
* Reduce agricultural chemicals in public water supplies
to below acceptable levels provided in the Environmental
Protection Act.
* Annually reduce:
* Sediment loading by 20 percent, from 350,000
metric tons to 280,000 metric tons.
* Phosphorus loading by 20 percent, from 1,000
metric tons to 800 metric tons.
* Nitrate-N loading by 30 percent, from 20,000
metric tons to 14,000 metric tons.
* Restore wetlands to improve water quality in the
affected watersheds;
* Increase wildlife habitat by at least 15 percent to
benefit wetland, grassland and riparian corridor species,
such as migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, neo-tropical
migrant birds, non-game grassland birds, reptiles and
amphibians.
* Improve the distribution and abundance of 33 threatened
or endangered fish and mussel species, including:
* Clubshell mussel, federally endangered.
* Northern riffleshell mussel, federally endangered.
* Washboard mussel, state endangered.
* Scioto Madtom fish, federally endangered.
* Spotted Darter fish, state endangered.
* Reduce atmospheric emissions by planting hardwood trees,
bottomland hardwood forests and long-term grass covers that
will sequester an additional 1 billion pounds of soil
carbon; and
* Reduce nutrient loading to waters that may contribute to
hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico by installing riparian
buffers adjacent to rivers and streams.
5. What are the eligibility requirements?
Landowners can offer eligible cropland and marginal
pastureland adjacent to waterways in the Scioto River
Watershed. This area includes 31 Ohio counties: Adams,
Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Crawford,
Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hardin,
Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison,
Marion, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross,
Scioto, Union, Vinton and Wyandot.
In addition, cropland must meet cropping history criteria
and be physically and legally capable of being cropped in a
normal manner. Marginal pastureland along streams,
watercourses and certain upland areas is also eligible for
enrollment.
Persons who have acreage under an existing CRP contract or
an approved offer with a contract pending are ineligible
for CREP on that acreage until that contract expires.
Other requirements will also apply. Interested producers
should contact their local FSA county office for specific
information regarding their eligibility for CREP.
6. When is the sign-up and how long does land remain under
contract?
Sign-up for the CREP will be announced later by the state,
and continues until enrollment goals are attained, or
through Dec. 31, 2007, whichever comes first.
Land enrolled in the program remains under contract for a
period of 14 to 15 years, as specified in the contract.
7. What conservation measures are approved for the CREP?
To better serve program goals, the following CRP
conservation practices are approved for the Ohio Scioto
River Watershed CREP:
* CP1 - Establishment of Permanent Introduced Grasses and
Legumes (a minimum of three cool-season grasses and one
forb required);
* CP2 - Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses;
* CP3 - Tree Planting;
* CP3A - Hardwood Tree Planting;
* CP4D - Permanent Wildlife Habitat, Noneasement;
* CP9 - Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife;
* CP10 - Vegetative Cover - Grass - Already Established;
* CP15A - Establishment of Permanent Vegetative Cover
(Contour Grass Strips);
* CP21 - Filter Strips;
* CP22 - Riparian Buffer;
* CP23 - Wetland Restoration;
* CP23A - Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain;
* CP25 - Rare and Declining Habitat;
* CP29 - Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat Buffer;
* CP30 - Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer; and
* CP31 - Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands.
8. What payments are FSA offering?
Subject to contract terms and certain limitations, CREP
participants will be eligible for the following types of
FSA payments:
* Signing Incentive Payment: A one-time payment of $100 to
$150 per acre for land enrolled under approved conservation
practices. This payment is made after the contract has
been signed and approved.
* Practice Incentive Payment: A one-time payment equal to
40 percent of the eligible reimbursable cost of approved
conservation practices.
* Wetland Restoration Incentive Payment: A one-time
payment that is 25 percent of the required hydrologic
restoration costs for conservation practices CP23 and
CP23A.
* Cost-share Assistance: Cost-share of up to 50 percent
for the installation of approved conservation practices.
* Annual Rental Payment: An annual payment for the life of
the contract. The payment consists of three components:
* Base Soil Rental Rate, which is determined by
calculating the normal CRP weighted average soil rental
rate for the three predominant soil types using the current
posted soil rental rates for cropland offers. For marginal
pastureland, the base rental rates for cropland will be
used.
* Incentive Payment of 150 percent for land
established as a CP1 or CP10 practice; 175 percent for land
established as a CP3, CP4D, CP15A or CP21 practice; 200
percent for land established as a CP2, CP3A, CP4D, CP9,
CP21, CP22, CP23, CP23A, CP25, CP29, CP30 or CP31 practice;
and 0 percent for land established as a CP21 practice or
land enrolled under infeasible-to-farm provisions.
* Annual Maintenance Payment in an amount consistent
with applicable CRP procedures.
9. What payments and assistance are the State of Ohio and
other partners offering?
The State of Ohio, in collaboration with public and private
partners, will:
* Contribute no less than 20 percent of the overall annual
program costs, including payments to participants and in-
kind contributions from private and public partners such as
SWCD, the City of Columbus and non-governmental
organizations.
* Enter into separate cost-share agreements and make
incentive payments for livestock exclusion fencing for
riparian land in a CP21, CP22, CP25, CP29, CP30 or CP31
practice.
* Make one-time incentive payments of up to $40 per acre
for the installation of warm season grass seedings.
* Make one-time incentive payments of up to $500 per acre
for certain wetland restoration and wildlife habitat
practices, not to exceed 10 acres per tract.
* Offer voluntary permanent conservation easements on
5,000 enrolled acres to be funded by the Nature
Conservancy, other private partners and, if available,
through the state.
* Provide appropriate technical and other program
assistance.
10. What is the cost?
The total cost over a 15-year period is estimated at $207.3
million, with FSA contributing $151.3 million and the State
of Ohio and local partners funding $56 million. The $207.3
million does not include any costs that may be assumed by
producers.
11. Can I still enroll in general CRP and continuous sign-
up CRP?
Yes. CREP is another option under CRP that farmers may
select to enhance their land; applicants may still enroll
eligible land 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. For instance, CREP payments are at a higher effective
rate.
12. Can I hay or graze my CREP land?
Haying and grazing are not permitted during the CRP
contract period unless FSA allows them for emergency or
managed haying and grazing purposes, if applicable, under
normal CRP rules.
13. Where can I get more information?
More information on the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP is
available at local FSA county offices, on FSA’s Web site
at: www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/default.htm and on ODNR’s
Web site at: www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/soil+water
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