Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) supports Wisconsin agricultural landowners in establishing waterway buffers and restoring flood-prone fields to reduce runoff and erosion and improve wildlife habitat.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Due Dates: No deadline listed
Funding Amounts: Average combined payments of $2,900 per acre for 15-year agreements or $4,200 per acre for perpetual easements on tilled land
Summary: CREP pays Wisconsin agricultural landowners to establish conservation practices near waterways and on flood-prone land.
Key Information: Land must be in a Wisconsin CREP county, have a crop or pasture history, and be near eligible water.
Description
Wisconsin’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) helps agricultural landowners protect soil and water while keeping other land in production. Run through a federal, state, and county partnership that includes the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the voluntary program pays landowners to establish conservation practices along waterways or restore frequently flooded fields to wetlands. Its goals include reducing agricultural runoff and erosion and improving wildlife habitat.
Practices depend on the site and the landowner’s preferences. Options include filter strips, riparian buffers, grassed waterways, wetland restoration, marginal pastureland habitat buffers, permanent grasses, and grass prairie restoration. Landowners can choose a 15-year agreement or a perpetual easement; either option also has a 15-year contract with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
