November
2000
Conservation Reserve Program
Biomass Pilot Projects
Background
Authorized
by the FY 2000 agricultural appropriations bill, FSA issued
a Federal Register notice on October 20 providing an opportunity
to submit applications to conduct pilot projects for harvesting
of biomass from CRP land to be used for energy production.
Under
the statute, up to 6 projects (no more than one of which in each
State) are authorized.
Pilot
Project Terms
The
terms of the projects include:
-
Acreage
may not be harvested more than once every other year.
-
No
more than 25 percent of the total CRP acreage in any NASS
Crop Reporting District (see map below) may be harvested in
any 1 year.
-
No
commercial use may be made other than energy production from
biomass.
-
The
total of all projects may not exceed 250,000 acres and individual
pilot projects will not generally be approved if they exceed
50,000 acres.
-
A
payment reduction equal to 25 percent of the annual rental
payment will apply during the year the acreage is harvested.
-
Pilot
projects must be conducted for a minimum of 10 years.
Eligible
Land
All
CRP land is eligible except that land:
-
devoted
to field windbreaks, waterways, shallow water ways for wildlife,
contour grass strips, shelter belts, living snow fences, permanent
vegetation to reduce salinity, salt tolerant vegetative cover,
filter strips, riparian buffers, wetland restoration, and
cross-wind trap strips or
- land
that is within an approved wellhead protection area not to exceed
2,000 foot radius, has an erodibility index of more than 15,
is within 1,000 feet of a stream or other waterbody, or considered
a wetland under the regulations at 7 CFR part 12.
Project
Applications
Project
applications must be submitted to the FSA State Executive Director
by December 19, 2000. Comments may be included with
submissions to suggest that the limitations, to the extent that
they are not statutory, should not apply or that other limitations
should apply.
Project
Applications Review
State
FSA Committees, in consultation with NRCS and the State Technical
Committee, will make recommendations to a National level interagency
group.
NASS
Crop Reporting Districts
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