Why Choose CRP? You Benefit. Land, Water and Wildlife Benefit. 

Living snow fences are designed to manage wind driven snow build-up, and enhance wildlife habitat. 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 Living Snow Fences?

Planting rows of trees or shrubs on cropland 

can reduce the damaging impacts of snowdrift. 

Oriented perpendicular to prevailing winds, snow 

can be redirected to designated areas, enabling the 

strategic protection of roadways, structures, people 

and animals. In addition, snow fences also provide 

vital cover for a wide range of wildlife and attract 

beneficial insects and pollinators throughout the 

year. Offered in continuous sign-up, CP-17A:

• Reduces wind erosion

• Protects crops, livestock and homesteads 

• Increase bee pollination

• Ccreates habitat and safe travel paths for wildlife

Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Financial Benefits

CP-17A participants are guaranteed:

• 10-15 years of annual rental payments 

• 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

Snow Management | Habitat Enhancement | Erosion Control

Conservation Reserve Program

CP-17A

LIVING SNOW FENCES

Photo provided by NRCS, Erwin C. Cole
Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

FSA will ultimately determine participant and land eligibility.

Eligible Land

• Planted or considered planted 4 out of 6 

years between 2008 and 2013 

• Capable of being planted to an agricultural 

commodity

• Suitable for planting trees

• Compliant with USDA’s highly erodible land 

and wetland provisions

Practice Requirements

• Noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, 

insects and pests shall be controlled 

• Practice shall be maintained without 

additional cost-share payments

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

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 planting of the practice within 12 months 

of the effective date of the contract

CP-17A

For More Information:

Contact your local USDA, Farm Service Agency:

http://offices.usda.gov

Proven Conservation Benefits

• In prime habitat, a 4% increase in CRP vegetation is 

associated with a 22% increase in pheasant counts

• CRP reduced nutrient losses in FY 2014 by an 

estimated 542 million pounds of nitrogen and 108 

million pounds of phosphorus

• 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

Photos Provided NRCS Roger Hill, Lynn Betts and FSA respectively