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

Creating duck nesting habitat increases duck populations in addition to other wetland and grassland bird and 

mammal species. 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 Duck Nesting Habitat?

Healthy, sustainable wetlands provide duck 

populations with critical high-quality feeding 

territories and cover for nesting and brooding. In 

an effort to re-establish these important ecosystems, 

CP-37 gives landowners and farmers the ability to 

restore up to 300,000 acres of wetlands – land that 

has been determined to have the greatest positive 

impact on duck populations. Eligible only for certain 

counties in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North 

Dakota, and South Dakota, this practice is offered as 

a continuous sign-up and, in addition to creating 

vital duck habitat, CP-37:

• Filters sediment and nutrients from runoff

• Captures carbon 

• Reduces downstream flooding damages

Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Financial Benefits

CP-37 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 wetland restoration practice

 - 50% from a Cost-Share Payment and

 - 40% from a Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) 

• Sign-up Incentive Payment (SIP) up to $150/acre

• Mid-Contract Management Cost Share

• Additional incentives may be available in your state 

under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) 

Improve Wildlife Habitat | Enhance Recreation | Increase Duck Populations

Conservation Reserve Program

CP-37

DUCK NESTING HABITAT

Photo provided by USFWS, Dave Menke
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

• Located outside of the 100-year floodplain

• Compliant with USDA’s highly erodible land 

and wetland provisions

Practice Requirements

• A protective grassland buffer around the 

wetland shall be enrolled with a minimum of 

4:1 and maximum of 10:1 ratio 

• Noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, 

insects and pests should 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 signup

• 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 seeding and installation of the practice 

within 12 months of the effective date of the 

contract

CP-37

For More Information:

Contact your local USDA, Farm Service Agency:

http://offices.usda.gov

Proven Conservation Benefits

• Between 2005 and 2011, CRP contributed to an 

estimated net increase of 1.5 million additional 

ducks per year

• CRP reduced nutrient losses in FY 2013 by an 

estimated 565 million pounds of nitrogen and 113 

million pounds of phosphorus

• In 2014, CRP lowered greenhouse gas emissions by 

the equivalent of 43 million metric tons of CO2 – 

the same benefit as taking nearly 8 million cars off 

the road for a year

Photos provided by Iowa Department of Agriculture-Division of Soil Conservation