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Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
What is CREP?
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a joint partnership
between the State of Washington and USDA, and is administered by the Washington
State Conservation Commission and the Farm Services Agency (FSA). The
agreement was signed in 1998 and provides incentives to restore and improve
salmon and steelhead habitat on private land.
The program is voluntary for landowners; the land enrolled in CREP is removed
from production and grazing under 10 or 15 year contracts. In return,
landowners plant trees and shrubs to stabilize the stream bank and to provide a
number of additional ecological functions.
Landowners receive annual rent, incentive, and maintenance payments and cost
share for practice installation. These payments made by FSA and the
Conservation Commission, can result in no cost to the landowner for
participation.
Currently, more than 8,400 stream miles are eligible in agricultural areas in
the State of Washington. Many of these stream miles comprise major river
systems and tributaries important to the salmon lifecycle. Twenty-seven
counties in Washington contain CREP eligible lands and streams, including Kitsap
County.
FSA Program Payments
- Soil Rental Rate: 200% x Soil Rental Rate x per acre.
Paid annually.
- Ag land of statewide significance: 10% x Soil Rental Rate x
per acre. Paid annually.
- Cost Share: 50% of eligible costs. Issued after each
phase is completed.
- Tree Protectors: 50% of hardwood seedling protectors - 0% for
conifers.
- Practice Incentive Payment (PIP): 40% of eligible
costs. Issued after buffer installation is completed.
- Signing Incentive Payment (SIP): $10.00 per acre, per full
Contract Year. Paid after contract approved.
- Maintenance: $7, $9, $10 per acre. Based upon -
No fence, fence only, fence and watering.
Washington State Payments
- Practice Incentive Payment (PIP): 40% of eligible costs to
establish. Advanced by State to Conservation Commission with Loan
agreement at 0% interest and reimbursed by FSA PIP.
- Cost Share: 10% of eligible costs. Paid by Districts
after each phase is complete.
- Tree Protectors: 100% of cost. Cost share for hardwood
seedling protectors is 10% State. Rate for conifer seedling protectors
is 100% State.
- Maintenance: 100% of eligible costs for 5 years. Paid
by District based upon receipts.
Additional Information Regarding CREP
- If a landowner who holds a CREP contract dies, the heirs will have the
choice to continue the contract or cancel.
- If a landowner who holds a CREP contract sells the property during the
contract period the buyer must succeed to the contract. Participants
should be strongly encouraged to discuss the contract with FSA prior to the
sale and to cover the contract in their sales agreement.
- Enrollment in CREP does not void or compromise the land's enrollment in
the County's Open Space Program.
- Fencing that was previously installed under a cost share program can be
moved to comply with the CREP requirements. It is recommended that as
much of the current fencing material be salvaged and used when fencing under
the CREP program.
- The general rule is to plant within 12 months of the contract effective
date. The technical agency can grant a second 12 months, with FSA
County Committee concurrence, if materials are not available, costs are
prohibitive, or there are environmental considerations (i.e., need more time
for site prep). The County Committee can grant a third 12
months. After 36 months however, we either have to terminate the
contract or get a waiver from the national FSA Office.
- It may take as long as 3 - 6 months to complete the contract process.
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