CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET September 2016

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – 

Montana: Missouri and Madison River Systems

OVERVIEW

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

the State of Montana are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 26,000 acres in 

portions of Blaine, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, 

Gallatin, Fergus, Lewis and Clark, Madison and 

Phillips counties to improve water quality and 

enhance wildlife habitat along the Missouri and 

Madison Rivers through the establishment of riparian 

buffers, the planting of native and other grasses 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, 

resource-conserving 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 

cost-share 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 are 

identified by the state, and then federal funds are 

supplemented with non-federal funds to achieve those 

goals.

Through the Montana CREP, federal and state 

resources are made available to program participants 

to voluntarily enroll in the CRP for a minimum of 

14-year, not to exceed 15-year, contracts. Participants 

remove cropland and marginal pastureland from 

agricultural production and convert the land to native 

grasses, trees and other vegetation.

GOALS

The goals of the Montana CREP are to:

• Improve water quality of the Missouri and 

Madison Rivers;

• Enhance wildlife habitat along the Missouri and 

Madison Rivers; and

• Restore degraded wetlands along the Missouri 

and Madison Rivers.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP1, Establishment of Permanent Introduced 

Grasses and Legumes;

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent Native 

Grasses;

• CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat, NonEasement;

• CP9, Shallow Water Areas for Wildlife;

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• 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 Montana 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 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. Persons who have an existing 

CRP contract are not eligible for CREP on that land 

until that contract expires.

PAYMENTS

Under the Montana CREP, eligible participants may 

receive the following payments:
FACT SHEET

CREP - Montana: Missouri and Madison River Systems September 2016

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o A base soil rental rate, determined by the type,

 location and vegetation of the land offered;

 o An incentive payment, as a percentage of the

 base soil rental rate, of 20 percent for dryland

 cropland and 40 percent for all other eligible

 land; and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the

 practice offered.

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) of 

$100 per acre for installing practice CP21, CP22, 

CP29 and CP30; or $150 per acre for installing 

practice CP23 and CP23A. Example: 10 acres 

enrolled to be devoted to practice CP21 results in 

a $1,000 (10 acres times $100) SIP.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

for installing practice CP9, CP21, CP22, CP23, 

CP23A, CP29 or 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 Montana provides the 

following payments:

• A cost-share payment of 50 percent of the 

eligible cost to install practices CP2, CP4D, 

CP23 and CP25; and

• A cost-share payment of 10 percent of the 

eligible cost to install practices CP9, CP21 and 

CP22.

EXAMPLES

A Gallatin County 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 $30 per 

acre. The incentive payment is $12 per acre ($30 

times .40). The maintenance rate is $5 per acre. The 

producer’s annual rental rate will be $47 per acre 

($30 + $12 + $5) for a total annual payment of $940 

($47 times 20 acres). The producer will receive a 

total of $14,100 in annual rental payments over the 

15-year life of the contract. In addition, the producer 

will receive a one-time SIP of $2,000. The producer 

will have no out-of-pocket costs for installing the 

riparian buffer because of the federal cost-share and 

practice incentive payment, plus the State of Montana 

cost-share.

A Broadwater County producer elects to enroll 

100 acres of eligible dryland cropland to be devoted 

to permanent native grasses (CP2) practice in a 15-

year contract. The dryland cropland rental rate for the 

acreage offered is $47 per acre. The incentive is $9 

per acre ($47 times .20). The producer’s annual rental 

rate will be $56 per acre for a total annual payment 

of $5,600 ($56 times 100 acres). The producer will 

receive a total $84,000 in annual rental payments 

over the 15-year life of the contract. The producer 

will have no out-of-pocket costs for installing the 

practice because of the federal and state cost-share.

Note: The preceding are examples 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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