FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

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February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - Virginia State

Overview

USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the state of 

Virginia have agreed on a plan to 

implement a Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

improve the water quality of the 

Chesapeake Bay.

This voluntary program uses financial incentives to encourage farmers 

and ranchers to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 

in contracts to remove lands from 

agricultural production. CRP is a 

CCC program implemented through 

the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The Virginia enhancement program consists of two projects: 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. One project will 

target 25,000 acres within the Bay 

watershed, while a second project 

will target 10,000 acres in non-Bay 

drainage basins.

Goals

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.

The objectives include:

• Helping agricultural producers 

meet nutrient reduction goals 

in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in addition to promoting 

voluntary nutrient reduction in 

non-Bay watersheds.

• Achieve the following collective reductions in overall nonpoint source contribution due 

to agriculture in the affected 

basins:

1. Nitrogen – over 600,000 

pounds per year

2. Phosphorus – over 90,000 

pounds per year.

3. Sediment – over 50,000 tons 

per year.

• Excess flows of freshwater 

through wetland restoration

• Provide substantial wildlife 

habitat enhancement for the 

preservation of natural diversity of Virginia’s biological 

resources, including threatened 

and endangered species associated with riparian and wetland 

habitats.

Virginia will conduct monitoring 

throughout the project duration to 

evaluate and record progress in 

achieving these goals.

Benefits

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.

Eligible Conservation Practices 

To facilitate the achievement of 

program goals, specific conservation 

practices have been identified for 

inclusion in the program. These are:

• CP21 Filter strip; 

• CP22 Riparian buffer; 

• CP23 Wetland restoration.

• CP29 Marginal Pastureland 

Wildlife Buffer

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible producers will be able to 

enroll in either 10 or 15 year CREP 

contracts. The state of 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 March 2000. The 

applicant must be able to offer acreage that meets one of 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 4 out of the past 6 years 

(2002-2007) that is physically and 

legally capable of being cropped. 

Marginal pasture land 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. Producers who have 

an existing CRP contract or an approved offer with a contract pending 

are not eligible for CREP until that 

contract expires.
FACT SHEET

CREP - Virginia February 2011

CREP Payments 

There are two types of payments for 

which participants in the Virginia 

CREP will be eligible: annual rental 

payments and cost-share assistance 

in the installation of the conservation practices. The annual rental 

payment will be based on the soil 

rental rate, as calculated by FSA. 

The 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; 

• 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; 

• A 120 percent incentive rate 

will be applied to the respective 

base rate; 

• A $5 maintenance payment per 

acre will be included.

The total annual per acre payment, 

including any state incentives, shall 

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.

FSA will pay 50 percent of the cost 

of installing conservation practices 

(installing new vegetation, fencing, 

etc.). In addition, the state will pay 

25 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs of conservation practice 

installation.

Cost

Based on the full implementation 

of both Virginia CREP projects and 

an enrollment of 35,000 acres, the 

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. The state share is approximately 

27 percent of the total program costs 

and the federal government share is 

approximately 73 percent.

The state will also obligate up to 

$3.75 million for the 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 just another option 

that farmers may select to enhance 

their land; applicants may still 

enroll in general CRP or continuous signup CRP. However, CREP 

provides additional benefits not 

available through the general and/

or continuous signup. Under CREP, 

applicants have flexibility to extend 

the duration of their conservation 

contract and thus increase the sum 

total of rental payments. Also, the 

enrollment process is on a continuous basis and payments are at a 

higher rate.

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing is not permitted during the CRP contract period 

unless the Secretary of Agriculture 

permits it for emergency purposes.

Where and When Do I Apply to 

Participate?

CREP is available on a continuous 

basis. Interested parties are encouraged to contact their local U.S. 

Department of Agriculture Service 

Centers, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, or State of Virginia 

Department of Conservation and 

Recreation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all 

of its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, 

political beliefs, genetic information, 

reprisal, or because all of part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all 

bases apply to all programs.) Persons 

with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, 

write to USDA, Assistant Secretary 

for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 

toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or 

(800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-

8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 

845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider 

and employer.

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