Questions & Answers

                         Virginia CREP

What is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program?
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or CREP (pronounced krep) is a
joint, Federal-State land retirement conservation program targeted to address
State and nationally significant agriculture-related environmental effects. 
This voluntary program uses financial incentives to encourage farmers and
ranchers to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in contracts of
10 to 15 years duration to remove lands from agricultural production.  It is
authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended.

What is the Virginia CREP?  
CREP is a Federal and State partnership agreement to retire environmentally
sensitive land through the Conservation Reserve Program.  The Virginia
enhancement program consists of two components: the Chesapeake Bay CREP and
the Southern Rivers CREP.  When fully implemented, these projects will
collectively restore up to 30,500 acres of riparian habitat and 4,500 acres of
wetlands.  The Chesapeake Bay CREP will target 25,000 acres within the Bay
watershed, while the Southern Rivers CREP will target 10,000 acres in non-Bay
drainage basins.

The Chesapeake Bay CREP has been developed to assist in protecting the Bay
from the impacts of excessive nutrient and sediment loading due to
agricultural runoff and assist Virginia in meeting the overall goal of
reducing controllable nutrient and sediment loading to the Bay by 40 percent. 
The Southern Rivers CREP project is directed at watersheds outside the
Chesapeake Bay drainage basin.  

What areas in Virginia are included in the program?
Producers can offer land in any part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that
meets the eligibility requirements identified for the Virginia CREP

The Southern Rivers CREP project area includes areas within drainage basins
outside of the Chesapeake watershed that meet at least one of the following
criteria:

A "high" priority ranking for total agricultural pollution as identified in
The Virginia Nonpoint Source Pollution Watershed Assessment  Report, July
1997;
A "high" Natural Heritage Resource watershed ranking as identified in The
Virginia Nonpoint Source Pollution Watershed Assessment  Report, July 1997;

"Priority County"status in the Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries Virginia Bobwhite Quail Management Plan;

Watersheds located within the New River Basin, which has been designated as an
American Heritage River.

What are the goals of the Virginia CREP?
The objectives of the Virginia CREP include:

                    Helping agricultural producers meet nutrient reduction goals in
          the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in addition to promoting voluntary
          nutrient reduction in non-Bay watersheds; 

                    Achieving the following collective reductions in overall nonpoint
          source contribution due to agriculture in the affected basins:

                              Nitrogen - over 600,000 pounds per year;
                              Phosphorus - over 90,000 pounds per year;
                              Sediment - over 50,000 tons per year;

                    Providing substantial wildlife habitat enhancement for the
          preservation of natural diversity of the biological resources of
          the Commonwealth, including threatened and endangered species such
          as the peregrine falcon and the big-eared bat, associated with
          riparian and wetland habitats.

Virginia will conduct monitoring throughout the project duration to evaluate
and record progress in achieving these goals.

What are some of the benefits of the Virginia CREP?
This program is expected to have significant water quality and wildlife
habitat benefits.  When fully implemented, this CREP is expected to
substantially reduce the nitrogen and sediment deposition due to agricultural
activities to the Chesapeake Bay watershed as well as protect other nutrient
sensitive waterways in Virginia.

What conservation measures are applicable?
To better serve program goals, specific conservation practices have been
identified for inclusion in the program.  These are:
          
                         CP21 Filter strip;
                         CP22 Riparian buffer;
                         CP23 Wetland restoration;
          
When and who can sign up for the Virginia CREP?
Eligible producers will be able to enroll in 10- to 15-year CRP contracts. 
Producers may extend the benefits of the program through separate contracts
with the State.  Virginia will attempt to enroll up to 8,000 acres of eligible
lands in permanent conservation easements.  Enrollment for CREP will be on a
continuous basis beginning in November 1999.  The applicant must be able to
offer otherwise eligible acreage that meets the following criteria:

                    Filter strip within 100 feet from the stream bank or drainage
          channel;
                    Riparian buffer within 300 feet from the stream bank or drainage
          channel;
                    Wetland restoration- entirely hydric soils or predominantly hydric
          soils, not to exceed 40 acres in size.

The Applicant also must satisfy the basic eligibility criteria for CRP.  Land
must be cropland that has been cropped 2 out of the past 5 years that is
physically and legally capable of being cropped.  Marginal pasture land can
also be eligible to be enrolled provided it is suitable for use as a riparian
buffer planted to trees.   In addition, producers enrolling the land must
generally have owned or operated the land  for at least 1 year prior to
enrollment.  Persons who have an existing CRP contract or an approved offer
with a contract pending are not eligible for CREP until that contract expires.

What are the payments under CREP?
There are two types of payments for which participants in the Virginia CREP
will be eligible: annual rental payments and cost-share assistance for the
installation of the conservation practices on land that is retired. The annual
rental payment will be based on the current soil rental rate, as calculated by
the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for general CRP purposes.   The gross rental
payment will be calculated in accordance with the following schedule:

                    On land enrolled as marginal pastureland, the rental payment shall
          be determined using the county average CRP rental rate within the
          respective county as the base rate; or

                    On land enrolled as cropland, the rental payment shall be
          determined using the weighted average of the current CRP soil
          rental rates on the enrolled acreage; and 

                    A 120 percent incentive rate will be applied to the respective
          base rate; and

                    A $5 per acre additional amount will be allowed to reflect
          maintenance requirements.

The total annual per acre payment, including any State incentives, may not
exceed $100 on land enrolled in the Chesapeake Bay CREP and $90 on land
enrolled in the Southern Rivers CREP .  

Virginia will offer one-time lump sum incentive payments based on the length
of the CREP contract.  For 10-year contracts, the incentive payment will be
$50 per acre enrolled.  For 15-year contracts, the payment will total $75 per
acre enrolled. The State will also provide a tax credit to eligible landowners
for costs borne as part of the CREP.

The Commodity Credit Corporation will pay up to 50 percent of the cost of
installing conservation practices (i.e installing new vegetation or fencing).
In addition, Virginia will pay 25 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs
of conservation practice installation.

What is the cost of the Virginia program?
Based on the full implementation of both Virginia CREP projects and an
enrollment of 35,000 acres, the expected financial Federal and State
obligation will be approximately $91 million over 15 years, with $68 million
coming from the Federal government and $23 million coming from the State. 
This does not include any costs that may be borne by producers.  Virginia's
share is approximately 20 percent of the total program costs and the Federal
government share is approximately 80 percent.  

Virginia will also obligate up to $3.75 million for the voluntary procurement
of 8,000 acres of permanent conservation easements, 6,000 acres in the Bay
project, and 2,000 acres in the Southern Rivers project.

Can I still enroll in general CRP and continuous sign up CRP?
Yes, CREP is another option that a farmer may select to enhance their land; 
an applicant may still enroll in the regular general CRP or continuous sign up
CRP.  However, CREP provides additional benefits not available through the
general and/or continuous sign up.  The CREP enrollment process is on a
continuous basis and payments are at a higher effective rate.

Can I hay or graze my CREP land?
Haying and grazing would not be permitted during the CRP contract period
unless the Secretary of Agriculture permits it for emergency purposes under
normal CRP rules. 

Where can I get more information about the program?
Contact the county U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center, Farm Service
Agency local office, Soil and Water Conservation District, or State of
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

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