Why Choose CRP? You Benefit. Land, Water and Wildlife Benefit. Riparian tree buffers improve water quality and provide vital habitat for wildlife. The Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) provides farmers and landowners with practices like this to achieve many farming and 

conservation goals. Whatever the conservation challenge - soil conservation, water quality protection, or wildlife 

habitat enhancement - CRP is a proven land performance and management solution.

Why Riparian Buffers?

For farmers and landowners interested in improving 

water quality and creating habitat for fish and 

wildlife, a riparian buffer - a strip of trees bordering 

perennial or seasonal streams, waterbodies and 

wetlands areas - is a beneficial solution. Offered in 

continuous sign-up, CP-22:

• Filters nutrients from runoff

• Traps sediment

• Cools water temperatures

• Stabilizes stream banks

• Sequesters Carbon

Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Financial Benefits

CP-22 participants are guaranteed:

• 10-15 years of annual rental payments with an 

additional 20% Rental Rate Incentive 

• Payments covering up to 90% of the eligible costs 

of establishing the practice

 - 50% from a Cost-Share Payment and

 - 40% from a Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) 

• Sign-up Incentive Payment (SIP) up to $100/acre

• Maintenance Rate Incentive

• Mid-Contract Management Cost Share

• Additional incentives may be available in your state 

under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) 

Water Quality Enhancement | Wildlife Habitat Enhancement | Carbon Sequestration

Conservation Reserve Program

CP-22

RIPARIAN BUFFER

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Longstaff, Integration and Applications Network, UMCES
Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

FSA will ultimately determine participant and land eligibility.

Eligible Land

• Suitable for planting trees

• Compliant with USDA’s highly erodible land 

and wetland provisions

• Planted or considered planted 4 out of 6 years 

between 2008 and 2013 or meets marginal 

pastureland eligibility requirements 

• Located immediately adjacent to and parallel 

to one of the following:

• Permanent water body

• Perennial or seasonal stream

• Sinkhole or karst area

• Semi-permanent or seasonally flooded area

• Wetlands

Practice Requirements

• Not be less than 35’ and not more 100’ (or 

30% of the floodplain unless under certain 

circumstances)

• Begin at the top of the stream bank

• Consist of naturally regenerated seeded or 

planted trees and shrubs suitable for the site

Obligations

Participants will:

• Not harvest or graze the practice area

• Work with USDA-approved conservationist to 

develop a conservation plan

• Perform periodic management activities according 

to the conservation plan

• Complete seeding/planting of the practice within 

12 months of the effective date of the contract

CP-22

For More Information:

Contact your local USDA, Farm Service Agency:

http://offices.usda.gov

Proven Conservation Benefits

• An acre of buffer adjacent to cropland holds back 

2.5 tons of soil, 6.4 pounds of nitrogen, and 1.1 

pounds of phosphorus in runoff 

• In 2014, CRP lowered greenhouse gas emissions by 

the equivalent of 43 million metric tons of CO2 - 

the same benefits as taking nearly 8 million cars off 

the road for a year

Owner/Operator Eligibility

Participants must:

• Have owned or operated the land for more than 12 

months prior to program sign-up

• Be in control of the land for the length of the 

contract

• Meet USDA payment eligibility provisions

Photo courtesy of VA, FSA and PA, FSA respectively