FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

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February 2011

 Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative

Overview

The Bottomland (hardwood) 

Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative is an initiative 

under the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) that works to 

improve air and water quality as 

well as increase wildlife habitat 

along wetland areas. The initiative allows producers to enroll in 

a CRP practice on lands suitable 

for growing bottomland hardwood trees or adapted shrubs 

that will provide multipurpose 

forest and wildlife benefits.

The Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative is 

administered by the USDA Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) through 

CRP, a voluntary program that 

helps agricultural producers safeguard environmentally sensitive 

land.

Producers enrolled in CRP plant 

long-term, resource conserving 

covers to improve the quality 

of water, control soil erosion, 

and enhance wildlife habitat. In 

return, FSA provides participants 

with rental payments and costshare assistance for 10 to 15 

years.

Producers can enroll in CRP for 

the Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative 

anytime through continuous CRP 

sign-up. Offers are automatically 

accepted provided the land and 

producer meet certain eligibility 

requirements. Offers for continuous sign-up are not subject to 

competitive bidding. More information is available in the FSA 

fact sheet “Conservation Reserve 

Program - Continuous Sign-up.”

Producers in all U.S. states and 

territories are eligible to participate in the initiative.

Goals

The purpose of the initiative is 

to establish a stand of trees that 

will:

• Control sheet, rill, scour, and 

other erosion;

• Reduce water, air, or land 

pollution;

• Restore and enhance the 

natural and beneficial functions of wetlands;

• Promote carbon sequestration; and

• Restore and connect wildlife 

habitat.

Acreage Limit

The total acres allowed nationwide for the initiative is 250,000 

acres. Every U.S. state has 

specified acreage limits.

Ownership Eligibility Requirements

An owner is eligible to offer 

land for enrollment for this CRP 

initiative if the owner meets one 

of the following requirements:

• Owned the land for 12 

months prior to filing for 

enrollment;

• Acquired the land by will 

or succession as a result of 

death;

• Acquired the land under 

circumstances other than for 

placement in CRP, as determined by the FSA National 

Office. 

Ownership eligibility requirements are satisfied if there is any 

combination of continuously 

leasing and owning by the same 

“person” during the 12-month 

period before filing for enrollment.

Eligibility for Operators 

• Operated the land for 12 

months before filing for 

enrollment; and 

• Provides satisfactory evidence, as determined by 

the FSA county committee 

(COC), that control of the 

land will continue uninterrupted for the contract 

period.

Satisfactory evidence may include any of the following:

• Statement signed by the 

owner;

• Written lease for the appropriate time period; or

• Owner’s signature on the 

CRP contract.

Operator eligibility requirements 

shall be satisfied if there is any 

combination of leasing and owning by the same “person” during 

the 12-month period before filing 

for enrollment.
FACT SHEET

Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative February 2011

Cropping History Requirements

Eligible cropland enrollment 

in the CRP Bottomland Timber 

Establishment on Wetlands Initiative includes cropland that is 

both of the following:

• Planted, COC-approved 

prevented planted, or considered planted to an agricultural commodity during any 

4 of the 6 crop years, 2002 

through 2007; and

• Physically and legally capable of being planted in a 

normal manner to an agricultural commodity in a normal 

manner during a normal 

cropping season.

Acreage for which a producer received a crop insurance indemnity payment for prevented planting shall be considered planted 

for that year for CRP cropping 

history purposes.

Field margins that are incidental 

to the planting of crops, such as 

turnrows, field borders, and center pivot corners, are eligible to 

be offered. Field margins do not 

include other areas within a field.

Acreage that received planted 

and considered planted credit for 

crop acreage base protection is 

considered planted for purposes 

of CRP cropland eligibility.

COC’s determination must be 

based on whether the cropland 

could be planted to an agricultural commodity in a normal 

manner during a normal cropping season. Acreage permanently under water is ineligible to be 

offered for enrollment.

Sign-up

Enrollment for the Bottomland 

Timber Establishment on Wetlands Initiative began Dec. 1, 

2003. For continuous sign-up, 

the effective date of the CRP 

contract is the first day of the 

month following the month of 

approval. In certain circumstances, producers may defer the 

effective date for up to 6 months.

If the acreage is currently under 

CRP contract and is within one 

year of the scheduled expiration 

date, the effective date is Oct. 1 

following the expiration date.

Incentive Payments

Eligible producers may receive 

the following types of payments:

• Up to 50% cost share for establishing permanent cover.

• Annual rental payments for 

a 10- to 15-year period. The 

rental rate is based on the 

weighted average dry-land 

cash rent.

• An additional incentive 

equal to 20 percent of the 

weighted average soil 

rental rate is authorized for 

CRP participants restoring 

wetlands, establishing bottomland hardwood forests, 

or creating duck nesting 

habitat.

• Upfront CRP signing incentive payment of $100 per 

acre. This one-time payment 

is made after the contract is 

approved and all payment 

eligibility criteria are met.

• Practice incentive payment 

equal to 40 percent of the 

eligible costs of installing 

the practice. This one-time 

payment is made after the 

practice is installed, eligible 

costs are verified, and other 

payment eligibility criteria 

are met.

For More Information

For more information on this 

and other FSA programs, contact 

your local FSA office or visit 

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 

Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 

(Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is 

an equal opportunity provider and 

employer.

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