Q&A's on the New York Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
                                                               
                                            Release No. 0348.98
Questions & Answers

NEW YORK CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

1) Q:  What is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program?

A:  The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a federal-state program to
address state and nationally significant agriculture-related environmental concerns.  This
voluntary program pays farmers and ranchers to stop agricultural production on their
environmentally fragile land and enroll it in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 10-to
15-year contracts.

2) Q:  What is the New York CREP?

A:  The New York CREP will address environmental problems associated with the Catskill and
Delaware watersheds of the New York City drinking water supply. The agreement seeks to enroll
in the CRP up to 5,000 acres of certain environmentally sensitive land in the watersheds, retire it
from production and plant grass, shrubs and trees.

3) Q:  What are its goals?

The goals of the New York CREP are to help:

    reduce the amount of silt, sedimentation, phosphorous, nitrogen, and risk of waterborne
     pathogens entering the tributaries, main streams, and reservoirs in the Catskill and
     Delaware watersheds, used for drinking water for New York City.

    promote the continued health and viability of natural habitats and ecosystems in the
     watersheds.  The program will enhance water quality and improve habitat for trout and
     other cold water fish.

4) Q:  What area is included in the program?

The project area consists of those portions of Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster
counties comprising the watershed feeding the Catskill/Delaware reservoir system.

5) Q:  What are some expected benefits of the New York CREP?

    Reductions in sedimentation, nutrients, and waterborne disease-causing organisms will
     eliminate the projected need for the construction of a $6-8 billion water filtration plant,
     which would cost up to $1 million per day to operate.

    These reductions will improve the water quality of the streams and rivers in the watershed
     emptying into the Delaware River improving conditions for wildlife and recreation. 
     Restoring natural ecosystems will improve wildlife habitat.
                                 
6) Q:  What types of conservation practices are available under the New York CREP?

For highly erodible cropland, eligible CRP practices are planting of non-native grasses,
establishing permanent native grasses, tree planting and establishing wildlife habitat.

For land qualifying for riparian buffers, eligible CRP practices include establishing filter strips,
riparian buffers, and wetland restoration.

7) Q:  How will the New York CREP be implemented?

The New York City CREP will consist of a federal continuous sign-up CRP component and a
voluntary Watershed Agricultural Program administered by the Watershed Agricultural Council of
the New York City Watersheds.  The Council's board of directors consists of farmers,
agribusiness interests, and the commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental
Protection.

8) Q: How does CREP fit into current New York City watershed management programs?

A: In 1992, New York City created the Watershed Management Program, a locally developed and
administered voluntary program that promotes partnerships between the watershed farm
community and the city for the purpose of controlling agricultural pollutants.  These partnerships
involve producers, agricultural marketing interests, federal, state, and local conservation agencies,
and the academic research community.  The partners are all represented in the Watershed
Agricultural Council, the administrative vehicle through which the Watershed Agricultural
Program is implemented.

The Watershed Management Program promotes environmentally and economically sound farm
management practices through the development of "Whole Farm Plans."  These plans, developed
for and in cooperation with individual landowners, promote the use of pollutant source controls
such as conversion of row crops to hay or grass and stream corridor controls such as bank
stabilization and vegetated buffers to reduce the transport of pollutants to watercourses.  CREP
will provide the incentive needed for farmers to adopt riparian buffers and convert highly erodible
cropland to grass to control erosion while maintaining their economic viability.

9) Q:  Who can sign up for the New York CREP and when?

A:  Enrollment for CREP will be on a continuous basis beginning September 1, 1998.  In addition
to offering acreage within the project area boundary, the applicant must satisfy the basic eligibility
criteria for the CRP.  Land must have been cropped 2 out of the past 5 years that it was physically
and legally capable of being cropped.  Marginal pastureland is also eligible to be enrolled
provided it is suitable for use as a riparian buffer planted to trees. Producers are eligible if the land
has been owned or operated for at least 1 year prior to enrollment.  Acreage subject to an existing
CRP contract is not eligible for enrollment in the CREP until that CRP contract expires.

10) Q:  What are the payments under CREP?

A: Participants in the New York CREP will annually receive the soil-based rental rate plus an
incentive rate equal to 100 percent of the soil rental rate, plus a $5.00 per acre maintenance fee. 
For enrolled land qualifying as riparian buffers, no per acre payment may exceed $150 per year. 
On highly erodible land, the rental rate will be calculated in a similar manner with no per-acre
payment exceeding $100 per year. The federal government will also pay 50 percent of the
reimbursable cost of installing the new vegetative cover.  Producers whose practices are destroyed
by circumstances beyond their control may receive additional assistance.
                                 
In addition, New York City, through its Watershed Agricultural Council, will provide the
remaining 50 percent of the costs to establish riparian buffers and vegetative cover.

11) Q:  What is the cost of the New York program?

A:  For enrollment of 5,000 acres, the total financial obligation will be approximately
$10,425,600 over 15 years, with $2,706,600 coming from the state and the remaining $7,719,000
coming from USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).  The state share is approximately
30 percent of the total estimated program costs and CCC's share is approximately 70 percent.  

12) Q:  Can I still enroll in general CRP and continuous signup CRP?

A:   CREP is another option that a farmer or rancher may select to improve conservation of his or
her land.  An applicant may instead choose to apply for the general CRP or continuous signup
CRP.  However, CREP provides benefits not available through the general and/or continuous
signup.  

13) Q: Can I hay or graze my CREP land?

A:  Haying and grazing will not be permitted during the CRP contract period except under
emergency conditions as determined by USDA.

14) Q:  Where can I get more information about the program?

A:  Contact the local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center, Farm Service Agency,
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation District, or Watershed
Agricultural Council.

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                                                 August 26, 1998