FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

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February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Program - Kentucky Enhancement Program

Overview

USDA and the state of Kentucky 

have agreed to implement a 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to restore 

up to 99,500 acres in south 

central Kentucky’s Green River 

Watershed. Revitalizing this area 

will help protect Mammoth Cave 

National Park and the ecologically rich Green River.

CREP uses federal and state 

resources to safeguard environmentally sensitive land through 

the Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP). CREP provides 

financial incentives to encourage 

producers to voluntarily enroll 

in 10- to 15-year CRP contracts. 

Producers enrolled in CRP 

remove lands from agricultural 

production and plant grasses, 

trees, and other vegetation to 

improve water quality, soil, and 

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

1985, as amended.

Benefits

The Green River is one of North 

America’s most diverse ecosystems and the most biologically 

abundant branch of the Ohio 

River System. The river flows 

unhindered for more than 100 

miles through 8 counties and 

through Mammoth Cave National Park, the world’s largest 

and most diverse cave system. 

The Kentucky CREP will ensure 

the long-term protection of water 

quality and habitat for a wide array of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

Goals

The goals of the Kentucky CREP 

are to:

• Reduce by 10 percent the 

amount of sediment, pesticides, and nutrients entering the Green River and 

Mammoth Cave system by 

growing strips of grass and 

trees around streams and 

sinkholes;

• Protect wildlife habitat 

and populations, including 

threatened and endangered 

species; 

• Restore riparian habitat 

along the Green River; 

• Restore the subterranean 

ecosystem by targeting 1,000 

high priority sinkholes.

Program Cost

The expected federal, state, and 

private cost over 15 years is 

more than $105 million. Of that 

amount, $88 million will come 

from the federal government 

and $17 million from Kentucky. 

This does not include costs 

that may be borne by producers. Kentucky will also provide 

financial incentives to extend the 

life of the program and will seek 

to buy permanent conservation 

easements. A private organization, the Nature Conservancy, 

while not a party to the Kentucky CREP agreement, is also 

expected to provide incentives 

to farmers to help ensure full 

participation in CREP.

Eligible Areas

Producers can offer land in the 

watershed below the Green 

River Lake Dam. This includes 

areas adjacent to streams, rivers, 

and sinkholes and other land that 

meet CREP eligibility requirements.

Approved Conservation Practices

The CRP conservation practices 

approved for this program are: 

• CP1 Introduced Grasses

• CP2 Native Grasses 

• CP3 Tree Planting

• CP3A Hardwood Tree Planting 

• CP4B Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat (corridors)

• CP4D Permanent Wildlife 

Habitat

• CP8A Grassed Waterways

• CP9 Shallow Waterways

• CP10 Grass Cover - Already 

Established 

• CP11 Tree Cover - Already 

Established

• CP12 Wildlife Food Plots

• CP15A Permanent Vegetative Cover

• CP21 Filter Strips 

• CP22 Riparian Buffer 

• CP23 Wetland Restoration

• CP23A Wetland Restoration 

(non-flood plain)

• CP25 Rare or Declining 

Habitat

• CP29 Marginal Pastureland 

Wildlife Habitat Buffer
FACT SHEET

CREP - Kentucky February 2011

Signup and Eligibility Requirements

Eligible producers can enroll in 

CREP through 10- to 15-year 

CRP contracts. Producers may 

extend the benefits of CREP 

through separate contracts with 

the state. Applicants must be 

able to offer eligible acreage and 

must satisfy the basic eligibility 

criteria for CRP. Land must be 

cropland that has been cropped 

4 out of the past 6 years and is 

physically and legally capable 

of being cropped. Marginal 

pastureland is also eligible provided it is suitable for use as a 

riparian buffer planted to trees. 

Applicants must generally have 

owned or operated the land for 

at least one year prior to enrollment. Persons with an existing 

CRP contract or an approved 

offer with a contract pending are 

not eligible for CREP until that 

contract expires.

CREP Payments

Kentucky CREP participants are 

eligible for four types of USDA 

payments:

• Signing Incentive Payment - a one-time payment 

consistent with Handbook 

2-CRP for land enrolled in a 

riparian buffer practice, filter 

strip, or grassed waterway. 

USDA makes this payment 

soon after the contract has 

been signed.

• Practice Incentive Payment 

- payment equal to about 

40 percent of the total cost 

for establishing the riparian buffer practice, filter 

strip, grassed waterway, or 

wetland restoration practice. 

This payment is in addition to the 50 percent cost 

share assistance that USDA 

provides.

• Annual rental payment of 

150 percent to 200 percent of 

the dryland cash rental rate, 

depending on the practice 

that is selected.

• Cost share assistance for 

installing the conservation 

practices on land that is 

retired.

In addition, Kentucky will offer 

one time lump sum incentive 

payments for permanent easements and will provide additional cost-share assistance.

Enrollment in Other Programs

Applicants may still enroll in 

general or continuous signup 

CRP. However, CREP provides 

additional benefits not available 

through the general and/or continuous signup. For instance, the 

CREP enrollment process is on 

a continuous basis and payments 

are at a higher effective rate.

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing is not allowed during the CRP contract 

period unless USDA permits it 

for emergency purposes under 

normal CRP rules.

For More Information

For more information on the 

Kentucky CREP, contact your local USDA Service Center, Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) office, 

or Soil and Water Conservation 

District 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 

Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 

(Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is 

an equal opportunity provider and 

employer.

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