FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

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February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Nebraska Platte-Republican Resources Area

Overview

USDA’s Farm Service Agency 

(FSA) and the State of Nebraska 

launched a $158 million Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program 

(CREP) agreement for the PlatteRepublican Resources Area. The 

Platte-Republican CREP will reduce 

irrigation water use, improve water 

quality, and enhance wildlife habitat 

through establishment of vegetative 

cover. Saving water will also replenish streams, rivers and reservoirs 

and enhance wildlife. 

CREP uses federal and state 

resources to safeguard environmentally sensitive land through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). 

Land enrolled in CRP is planted 

primarily to grasses and trees to 

improve water and soil quality and 

wildlife habitat. CRP was authorized by the Food Security Act of 

1985, as amended. CREP provides 

rental payments and other financial 

incentives to encourage producers 

to enroll voluntarily in 10 to 15-year 

CRP contracts.

Benefits

The Platte-Republican Resources 

Area CREP will significantly reduce 

the consumptive use of water for 

irrigation and the amount of agricultural chemicals and sediment 

entering waters of the state from 

agricultural lands and transportation 

corridors. The reduction of ground 

and surface water use and of nonpoint source contaminants, through 

establishment of permanent vegetative cover, will also enhance associated wildlife habitat, both terrestrial 

and aquatic.

Goals

 The goals of the Platte-Republican 

CREP are to:

• Reduce the application of 

water for cropland irrigation 

in the priority area by 125,000 

acre-feet annually from current 

irrigated usage levels. 

• Increase surface and groundwater retention by a target amount 

of 85,000 acre-feet of water 

annually within priority area 

reservoirs, groundwater tables 

and streams. 

• Provide up to 15,000 additional 

acres of conservation buffers 

and restored wetlands. 

• Reduce the application of commonly used triazine products on 

crops by approximately 93,000 

pounds annually. 

• Reduce leaching of nitrate 

compounds into project area 

streams and groundwater by 

5,900,000 pounds annually. 

• Reduce the agricultural application of phosphate products 

by farmers by approximately 

2,440,000 pounds annually, 

when fully enrolled, from existing application rates in the 

priority area. 

• Assist community public water 

supplies (surface and groundwater) by reducing nitrogen 

and phosphorus levels from 

agricultural activities. 

• Provide educational assistance 

to project priority area irrigators 

to develop a more efficient use 

of applied water, nutrients, and 

herbicides. 

• Provide up to 85,000 additional 

acres of native grassland habitat 

for wildlife in the priority area, 

increasing the populations of 

pheasants and other ground 

nesting birds by 25 percent in 

the area. 

• Reduce the total consumption 

of fossil fuels for irrigation by 

350,000 gallons and electricity use by 10 million kilowatt 

hours. 

Program Cost

The expected combined federal and 

state obligation is approximately 

$158 million for optional 10- to 

15-year contracts with $122 million 

coming from FSA and $36 million from Nebraska. This does not 

include any costs that may be borne 

by producers.

Eligible Areas and Eligibility 

Requirements

The project area includes the Platte 

and Republican Rivers and their 

tributaries in southern and western Nebraska. Producers who are 

located in the project area and meet 

the eligibility requirements identified for the Nebraska CREP may be 

eligible. To find out if your operation is located within the project 

area, contact your local FSA office.

To be eligible for CREP, the applicant must also satisfy the basic 

eligibility criteria for CRP. 

Irrigated and non-irrigated cropland 

may be eligible for enrollment. For 

irrigated cropland to be eligible it 

must meet land eligibility requirements:

• Cropland that has been cropped 

4 out of the 6 years, in 2002- 

2007; 

• Cropland that is physically and 

legally capable of being planted 

in a normal manner to an agricultural commodity and capable 

of being irrigated when offered 

for enrollment; and 

• A Nebraska State Water 
FACT SHEET

CREP - Nebraska Platte-Republican Resource Area February 2011

Use Contract is entered into 

between the producer and the 

State of Nebraska covering the 

irrigated cropland acres. 

For non-irrigated (dry land) cropland to be eligible for enrollment, 

the land must meet the above 

eligibility requirements and be a 

center-pivot corner enrolled with 

the adjacent irrigated center-pivot 

cropland area.

Approved Conservation Practices

The following conservation practices may be eligible for land enrolled 

into the Nebraska Platte-Republican 

CREP:

• CP2 - Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses; 

• CP4D - Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat; 

• CP21 - Filter Strips; 

• CP22 - Riparian Buffer; 

• CP23 - Wetland Restoration; 

• CP23A - Wetland Restoration, 

Non-Floodplain; 

• CP25 - Rare and Declining 

Habitat.

Acreage Limitations

For the Platte-Republican CREP, 

enrollment is permitted for up to 

100,000 acres of eligible cropland. 

Cropland and conservation practice 

limitations are: 

• CP2, CP4D, and CP25: up to 

85,000 acres; 

• CP21 and CP22: up to 10,000 

acres;

• CP23 and CP23A: up to 5,000 

acres. 

For the Republican River Basin 

Area, up to 50,000 acres may be 

enrolled.

For the Platte River Basin Area, up 

to 50,000 acres may be enrolled as 

follows:

• Up to 40,000 acres may be 

enrolled in the designated area 

below Lake McConaughy. 

• Up to 10,000 acres may be 

enrolled in the designated area 

above Lake McConaughy. 

For the Platte River Basin Area, the 

10,000 acres are further divided as:

• Up to 5,000 acres, served solely 

by groundwater wells, may be 

enrolled.

• Up to 5,000 acres, served by 

either groundwater wells and/

or surface water allocation, may 

be enrolled.

Sign-up and Contract Duration

Sign-up for the CREP will continue 

until enrollment goals are attained, 

and as long as there is statutory 

authority for CRP. Land enrolled in 

the program remains under contract 

for a period of 10 to 15 years, as 

specified in the contract. 

Applicants must generally have 

owned or operated the land for at 

least 12 months prior to enrollment. Persons with an existing CRP 

contract or an approved offer with 

a contract pending are ineligible for 

CREP until that contract expires.

CREP Payments

Nebraska CREP participants may be 

eligible for the following payments 

from USDA:

• Annual rental payments based 

on irrigated rental rates for 

each eligible enrolled irrigated 

acre in which a State Water 

Use Contract has already been 

secured. 

• Annual rental payments based 

on dryland cropland rental 

rates for each eligible enrolled 

dryland crop acre. 

• Cost-share payments for 50 

percent of the eligible reimbursable costs for establishment of 

approved conservation practices. 

• A one-time Signing Incentive 

Payment consistent with Handbook 2-CRP for each eligible 

acre enrolled for each full year 

of the contract for eligible 

practices. 

• A one-time Practice Incentive 

Payment equal to 40 percent of 

the total eligible cost of practice 

installation consistent with 

Handbook 2-CRP for eligible 

practices. 

• A one-time incentive payment 

equal to 25 percent of the cost 

of restoring the hydrology of 

the site for practices CP23 and 

CP23A. 

CREP and CRP

CREP is not the only option that 

farmers may select to enhance their 

land; applicants may still enroll in 

the general CRP or continuous CRP. 

However, CREP provides additional 

benefits not available through the 

general and/or continuous CRP.

For More Information

For more information on the Nebraska CREP, contact your local 

FSA office. Additional information 

is also available on FSA’s Web site 

at: www.fsa.usda.gov. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

prohibits discrimination in all of its programs 

and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental status, 

religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all of part 

of an individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all bases apply 

to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free 

at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 

(TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federalrelay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federalrelay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider 

and employer.

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