Producers in the James River Watershed can now enroll new acres into the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
CREP is a federal and state partnership conservation program that allows participants to receive financial incentives from both the Farm Service Agency and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to voluntarily enroll acres into the Conservation Reserve Program for 10 or 15 year contracts.
Like CRP, CREP participants remove cropland and marginal pasture lands from agriculture production and establish native grasses and other vegetation on the land.
Mark Norton, GFP Hunting Access and Farm Bill Coordinator, says the program has 75,000 acres enrolled. He says the difference between CREP and CRP is public hunting and fishing access is required on CREP and participants receive a higher payment than if they just enroll in CRP.
The re-opening of the CREP program is due, in large part, to the establishment of the South Dakota Habitat Stamp. The initial goal of CREP was to gain 100,000 acres, but the program exhausted its funding before reaching this goal.
Norton says the creation of the Habitat Stamp has allowed South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to move towards full enrollment of the James River CREP by allocating a portion of those funds to reach the maximum enrollment of 100,000 acres. He says the signup period will remain open until the program reaches the goal of 100,000 acres. Land currently enrolled in CREP that expires Sept. 30 of this year will also be eligible to re-enroll starting April 1.
For more information on CREP, contact your local USDA Service Center, FSA office or Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist.
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