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Western Lake Erie Basin/River Raisin Watershed
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
(CREP)
 Michigan's
Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program
(CREP) was
created to help
protect
our environment
and
wildlife. Michigan is
partnering with the
federal
government to
implement
conservation
practices of
great
significance to the
state, and
valuable to
the
nation, in
matters of soil
erosion,
water
quality, and wildlife
habitat.
CREP is founded upon
the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), yet
differs from the CRP
by
offering enhanced financial
incentives for
participants.
In Michigan's
CREP,
farmers
and other landowners
in priority watershed
areas
agree to
enroll eligible
parcels of land in
the program for
15 years, and
establish
prescribed
conservation
practices.
In return, landowners
receive up to 100% cost-share assistance in
establishing conservation
practices. Approved
practices
CP1 Introduced
Grasses and
Legumes, CP2
Native Grasses and
Legumes,
CP5A Field
Windbreak,
CP21 Filter
Strips, CP22
Riparian Forest Buffer,
CP23
Wetland Restoration for a
Floodplain, CP23A
Wetland Restoration for
a
Non-floodplain and CP26
Sediment Retention
Control
Structure.
Environmental Benefits  Michigan's
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
(CREP) is the largest
voluntary
environmental
improvement program in the state's history,
initially involving 80,000
acres of land in three
watershed areas, which
will be
dedicated to
conservation
practices. CREP
will be
key in reducing
non-point
source pollution in
rural
areas.
CREP
Information Conservation
buffers can reduce wind and water erosion
by
reducing the amount of
sediment, nutrients and pesticides entering
surface
and subsurface waters.
The
Conservation
Reserve
Enhancement Program is
a special program to
install
buffer strips while
enhancing
wildlife
habitats.
Landowners
may
enroll eligible
cropland
acres
into
the Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program
without waiting for an
announced sign-up
period
by
signing up
several
beneficial
conservation
practices.
Landowners will be
provided economic benefits through approved rental
rates, incentive
payments and
maintenance for each
acre
approved.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
details:
- Contracts are for 15
years
- Starting Oct. 1, 2008 the
field must have crop history 4 out of 6 years
between 2001 and
2006
- Pastureland may be eligible (CP22
only)
- Up
to 100% cost share rate for practice
establishment
and/or
construction
- Provide proof of
ownership
NOTE: Currently
Enrolling
To learn more about
the Conservation
Reserve
Enhancement
Program,
contact your local,
State,
or county FSA
office
or write
to the
following
address:
USDA FSA Public Affairs Staff 1400
Independence Avenue, SW STOP 0506 Washington,
DC
20250-0506
For the CREP
Technician in the River Raisin Watershed
contact: Lauren
Lindemann (517) 263-7400
Ext.
119 Conservation
Programs Specialist/CIG Specialist
Serving
Eastern
Lenawee,
Monroe,
Washtenaw &
Jackson
Counties. Nathan
McNett
(517) 263-7400
Ext.
121 Serving
Western
Lenawee
County. Sarah
Zeiler (517)
849-9890 Ext.
3 Serving
Hillsdale
County
CREDIT: Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan Department
of Environmental
Quality,
Natural
Resources
Conservation
District
and Farm
Service
Agency. |