CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET September 2016

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – Hawaii

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and 

the State of Hawaii are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 15,000 acres 

of agricultural land in Hawaii, Maui (including 

Molokai and Lanai), Kauai and Honolulu counties 

to improve water quality and enhance wildlife 

habitat through the establishment of riparian 

buffers, hardwood trees and the restoration of 

wetlands.

BACKGROUND

CREP is a part of the USDA Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is a federally 

funded voluntary program that contracts with 

agricultural producers so that environmentally 

sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, 

but instead used for conservation benefits. CRP 

participants establish permanent, resourceconserving plant species, such as approved grasses 

or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, 

improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat. 

In return, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides 

participants with rental payments and costshare assistance. CRP is authorized by the Food 

Security Act of 1985 and was reauthorized by the 

Agricultural Act of 2014.

With CREP, high-priority conservation goals 

first are identified by the state, and then federal 

funds are supplemented with non-federal funds to 

achieve those goals.

Through the Hawaii CREP, federal and state 

resources are made available to program 

participants to voluntarily enroll in CRP for a 

minimum of 14-year, not to exceed 15-year, 

contracts. Participants remove marginal pastureland 

and cropland from agricultural production and 

convert the land to native trees, grasses and 

other vegetation, or restore wetlands. This will 

improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, reduce 

the amount of sediment, phosphorous and other 

pollutants entering waterbodies and improve 

wildlife habitat.

GOALS

The goals of the Hawaii CREP are to:

• Improve water quality by reducing soil runoff, increasing ground water absorption and 

reducing stream sedimentation;

• Establish wildlife habitat, including riparian 

habitat corridors and habitat for threatened, 

endangered and rare species; and

• Restore and protect wetlands.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP3A, Hardwood Tree Planting;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer;

• CP23, Wetland Restoration;

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain;

• CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat;

• CP29, Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat 

Buffer; and

• CP30, Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer.

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY 

REQUIREMENTS

Signup for the Hawaii CREP is on a continuous 

basis. To be eligible, land must be located in the 

project area and be either cropland or marginal 

pastureland. Cropland must meet the cropping 

history criteria and be physically and legally 

capable of being planted in a normal manner to an 

agricultural commodity. Marginal pastureland is 

also eligible for enrollment provided it is suitable 

for use as an eligible riparian buffer.
FACT SHEET

CREP - Hawaii September 2016

PAYMENTS

Under the Hawaii CREP, eligible participants may 

receive the following payments:

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o A base soil rental rate, determined by (1) for

 cropland, the three predominant soils of the

 land offered; or (2) for marginal pastureland,

 rate determined by the physical location of the

 land offered; and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the

 practice offered.

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre for practice CP22, CP29 and 

CP30; or $150 per acre for practice CP23 

and CP23A. Example: 10 acres is enrolled as 

practice CP22. The SIP is $1,000 (10 acres 

times $100). This payment is made soon after 

the contract has been signed and approved.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

for installing practices CP22, CP23, CP23A, 

CP29 and CP30. The PIP is equal to 40 percent 

of the total eligible cost of installing the 

practice. Example: Producer’s total eligible 

cost of installing the practice is $2,000. The 

PIP would be $800 ($2,000 times .40).

• A cost-share payment of up to 50 percent 

of the eligible cost to install the approved 

conservation practice.

In addition, the State of Hawaii provides an 

incentive payment of $17 per acre per year for all 

acres enrolled.

EXAMPLE

A producer elects to enroll 20 acres of eligible 

marginal pastureland to be devoted to a riparian 

buffer (CP22) practice in a 15-year contract. The 

marginal pastureland rental rate is $43 per acre. 

The maintenance rate is $10 per acre. The State of 

Hawaii incentive is $17 per acre. The producer’s 

total annual per acre payment (from CCC and 

State of Hawaii) is $70 ($43 + $10 + $17), for a 

total annual payment of $1,400 $70 x 20 acres). In 

addition, the producer will receive a one-time SIP 

of $2,000. Over the life of the 15-year contract, 

the producer will receive $23,000 in annual rental 

payments and incentive payments. The producer’s 

cost for establishing the riparian buffer is only 

10 percent of the total eligible costs. The producer 

will also receive cost-share assistance for midcontract maintenance of the practice.

Note: The preceding is an example only.

HAYING AND GRAZING

Haying and grazing are not allowed during the 

CRP contract period unless authorized by USDA. 

Contact your local FSA office for information 

about authorized haying and grazing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This fact sheet is provided for informational 

purposes only; other restrictions or requirements 

may apply. For more information on CREP, contact 

your local FSA office. To find your local FSA 

county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. To 

learn more about FSA conservation programs, visit 

www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation.

_________________________________________

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, 

its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in 

or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating 

based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 

status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 

program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 

rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by 

USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint 

filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, 

American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency 

or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 

contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at 

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA 

office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter 

all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or 

letter to USDA by:

1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant

 Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW

 Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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