CRP pays to be environmentally sensitive (Keeping the Farm)

(Editor’s note: Laura Pleasanton is an agricultural program specialist with Farm Service Agency, Maryland.)

Now is a wonderful time for interested landowners and operators to consider installing a conservation practice with USDA’s Farm Service Agency through the Conservation Reserve Program.
CRP pays participants to take environmentally sensitive land out of production and instead plant resource conserving cover like filter strips, riparian buffers, shallow water areas, pollinator plantings and a myriad other options.
There are several types of CRP, one of which is General CRP. This involves a competitive bidding process, and signup for this year will last for just a few more days once this article is printed.
In Maryland, General CRP seems to best suit producers when their land may not qualify for other types of CRP since it’s easier to qualify in some cases, and because annual rental payments and incentives are typically less under General CRP.
Opportunities to participate in CRP don’t end after General CRP signup closes on April 7.
Another type of CRP is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
Maryland has more than 40,000 acres actively enrolled in CREP in grass filter strips, tree plantings, grass plantings on highly erodible land, riparian buffers, and restored wetlands. FSA offices accept offers for CREP year-round and on a continuous basis.
Most acres enrolled in Maryland under CRP are under the CREP. It’s easy to see why most participants choose CREP with the current incentives.
Participants are typically paid an annual rental payment, a signing incentive payment from FSA, a signing bonus from the State of Maryland, and a practice incentive payment. Right now (and for at least a few more years), the incentives are better than ever.
The State of Maryland is paying up to 100-percent cost-share for the installation costs of key conservation practices. Additionally, several practices already receive $100 per acre signing bonuses from the State of Maryland, but right now, riparian buffers receive $1,000 per acre signing bonuses for new forest buffers under CREP.
With 100 percent of installation costs covered and a $1,000 per acre signing bonus, we’re hoping MDA’s financial lure will garner more riparian buffers in the state, as MDA, DNR, and a slew of people are working hard to see more trees planted across the Maryland landscape.
In addition to General CRP and CREP, there is also Continuous CRP that lacks some of the great financial incentives tied to CREP, but includes practices not available under CREP like grassed waterways, pollinator plantings, and habitat buffers for upland birds (quail buffers) and still includes ample cost-share funding and incentive payments.
FSA offices are accepting offers for this type of CRP year-round.
Additionally, there is Grasslands CRP which is a working lands program that like General CRP, is a competitive process with ranked offers, and that signup should be announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in the coming weeks.
Lastly, expiring contracts are often eligible for CLEAR30 which allows producers with expiring contracts to re-enroll for 30 years rather than 10 to 15 years with some financial benefits not available for other types of CRP.
The State of Maryland is offering a $1,000 signing bonus for any CLEAR30 contracts this year.
CRP is a federal program, so make no mistake, there are requirements to qualify and expectations that the cover is maintained through the life of the contract.
But many participants find these requirements worthwhile and a way to ensure guaranteed revenue and make it financially possible to reduce soil erosion, nutrient runoff, and enhance wildlife habitat on their property.
If you’d like to learn more about enrolling in CRP in Maryland, please reach out to your local FSA county office.
Between FSA, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and key partners like MDA and DNR that work with FSA to administer CRP, we’ll work to find a program that is a fit for your farm.
In Maryland, the problem for most producers isn’t whether they qualify to partner with the federal or state government to install a conservation practice, it’s simply narrowing down the options to the best fit for their land and site-specific resource concerns.
While I’ve shared a highlight reel of some CRP options, I’d be remiss if out of respect to my coworkers in the county offices that are hustling hard to keep up with demand, and the slew of other important programs we administer, that we may need you to please bear with us.
Enrolling in CRP isn’t always a speedy process, but FSA and our partners will gladly work with you to find the best fit for your operation.