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

Filter strips are designed to protect water quality by serving as a natural filter to intercept pollutants and prevent 

erosion. 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 Filter Strips?

Grass filter strips can be planted adjacent to perennial 

and seasonal streams, wetlands, lakes, and ponds. 

They filter runoff by trapping sediment, nutrients, and 

other pollutants before they reach surrounding water 

bodies and aquifers. Filter strips also protect soil from 

erosion by stabilizing cropland that might otherwise 

have been susceptible to damaging water and wind. 

Offered in continuous sign-up, CP-21:

• Intercepts and filters nutrients from runoff

• Reduces erosion and traps sediment

• Provides habitat and corridors for wildlife

• Sequesters carbon

Farm Service Agency USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Financial Benefits

CP-21 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 buffer 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 | Soil Protection

Conservation Reserve Program

CP-21

FILTER STRIP

Photo courtesy of NRCS, Lynn Betts
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 the 6 

years between 2008 and 2013

• Capable of being planted to an agricultural 

commodity

• Compliant with USDA’s highly erodible land 

and wetland provisions

• Immediately adjacent to and parallel to one of 

the following:

• Seasonal or perennial streams

• Wetlands

• Other permanent waterbodies

Practice Requirements

The buffer will:

• Not be less than 20’ and not more 120’ in width

• Be suitable to be devoted to a filter strip

• Be capable of substantially reducing pollutants 

going into the nearby waterbody

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 except 

under certain approved conditions

• Work with USDA-approved conservationist to 

develop a conservation plan

• Perform periodic management activities according 

to the provided conservation plan

• Complete seeding of the practice within 12 

months of the effective date of the contract

CP-21

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 benefit as taking nearly 8 million 

cars off the road for a year

• CRP reduced nutrient losses in FY 2014 by an 

estimated 542 million pounds of nitrogen and 108 

million pounds of phosphorus

Photo courtesy of FSA, MO and NRCS, Lynn Betts respectively