FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Page 1

February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program New Jersey State

Overview

The New Jersey Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program 

(CREP) is designed to help 

farmers reduce damage from 

agricultural water runoff sources 

in an effort to improve water 

quality along both impaired and 

unimpaired New Jersey streams. 

Retiring highly erodible cropland and planting it to protective 

vegetation will enhance water 

quality; reduce water treatment 

costs for New Jersey’s cities; and 

provide shelter, nesting areas 

and food for many species of 

wildlife. Buffers planted along 

stream banks and rivers will 

filter phosphorus, nitrogen and 

sediments from the waterways 

and reduce biological impairment in the Atlantic Ocean.

CREP is a federal-state natural 

resource conservation program 

that addresses state and nationally significant agricultural related 

environmental problems. Under 

CREP, program participants 

receive financial incentives from 

USDA’s Farm Service Agency 

(FSA) to voluntarily enroll in the 

Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP) in contracts of 10- to 

15-years. Participants remove 

marginal pastureland or cropland 

from agricultural production 

and convert the land to native 

grasses, trees and other vegetation. CRP is authorized by the 

Food Security Act of 1985, as 

amended.

Eligible Areas

Producers can offer eligible 

cropland and marginal pastureland in New Jersey’s Delaware 

and Wallkill watersheds and the 

Northeast, Raritan and Atlantic 

regions of the state that drain 

toward the Atlantic Ocean. Interested producers should contact 

their local FSA county office for 

specific information regarding 

their eligibility for CREP.

Goals

The goals of the New Jersey 

CREP include:

• Enrolling 30,000 acres of 

eligible farmland into CREP 

for the planting of grass 

waterways, contour grass 

strips, filter strips and riparian buffers;

• Maintaining and restoring ecological functions of 

streams by reducing biological impairment and improving water quality;

• Addressing non-point source 

pollution from agricultural 

runoff by reducing 26,000 

pounds of phosphorous and 

7 million pounds of Total 

Suspended Solids (dirt and 

other foreign particles) annually;

• Maintaining a high level of 

water quality in unimpaired 

streams through the prevention of additional pollutants;

• Enhancing farm viability; 

and

• Establishing permanent easements to aid in reaching the 

state’s open-space goals.

Approved Conservation Practices

To better serve program goals, 

the following CRP conservation 

practices are included in the New 

Jersey CREP:

• CP8A - Grass Waterways, 

Noneasement;

• CP15A - Establishment of 

Permanent Vegetative Cover 

(Contour Grass Strips), Noneasement;

• CP21 - Filter Strips (Grass 

Strips); and

• CP22 - Riparian Buffers 

(Trees Planted Next to 

Streams).

Signup and Eligibility Requirements

Sign-up for the New Jersey 

CREP began March 15, 2004, 

and continues until enrollment 

goals are attained, and as long 

as there is statutory authority 

for CRP. Cropland must meet 

cropping history criteria and be 

physically and legally capable 

of being cropped in a normal 

manner. Marginal pastureland 

is also eligible for enrollment 

provided it is suitable for use as 

a buffer practice. Persons who 

have acreage under an existing 

CRP contract or an approved 

offer with a contract pending are 

ineligible for CREP on that acreage until that contract expires. 

Other requirements will also 

apply. Contract terms will be 

set out in the CRP contract and 
FACT SHEET

CREP - New Jersey State February 2011

regulations.

Payments

Subject to contract terms and 

certain limitations, New Jersey 

CREP participants will be eligible for the following types of 

USDA payments:

• Signing Incentive Payment: 

A one-time payment consistent with Handbook 2-CRP 

for land enrolled in a CP8A, 

CP21 or CP22 practice. This 

payment is made after the 

contract has been signed and 

approved.

• Practice Incentive Payment: 

A one-time payment equal 

to about 40 percent of the 

eligible cost for enrollment 

under approved conservation 

practices.

• Cost-share Assistance: Costshare of up to 50 percent for 

the installation of approved 

conservation practices.

• Infeasible to Farm Acreage Payment: An annual 

rental payment at the base 

soil rental rate for otherwise 

eligible cropland enrolled as 

infeasible to farm acreage. 

Infeasible to farm acreage only applies to practice 

CP21 or CP22. Incentives do 

not apply to acres enrolled as 

infeasible to farm.

• Annual Rental Payment: An 

annual payment for the life 

of the contract. The payment 

consists of three components:

1. Base Soil Rental Rate, which 

is determined by calculating 

the normal CRP weighted 

average soil rental rate for 

the three predominant soil 

types using the current 

posted applicable local soil 

rental rates.

2. Incentive Payment of 100 

percent for land established 

as a CP8A, CP15A or CP21 

practice; and 150 percent for 

land established as a CP22 

practice.

3. Annual Maintenance Payment in an amount consistent 

with applicable CRP procedures.

In addition, the State of New 

Jersey will:

• Pay 10 percent of the cost to 

install approved conservation practices.

• Contribute no less than 20 

percent of the overall annual 

in-kind and direct program 

costs.

• Offer payments to participants for permanent CREP 

easements through statefunded programs.

Program Cost

The total cost over a ten-year 

period is estimated at $100 

million, with USDA contributing $77 million and New Jersey 

State funding $23 million. The 

$100 million does not include 

any costs that may be assumed 

by producers.

Enrollment in Other Programs

CREP is another option under 

CRP that farmers may select to 

enhance their land; applicants 

may still enroll eligible land 

in the regular general CRP or 

continuous sign-up CRP. However, CREP provides additional 

benefits not available through 

the general and/or continuous 

sign-up. For instance, CREP 

payments are at a higher effective rate.

Haying and Grazing

Haying and grazing are not permitted during the CRP contract 

period unless USDA allows 

them for emergency or managed 

haying and grazing purposes, if 

applicable, under normal CRP 

rules.

For More Information

More information on the New 

Jersey CREP is available from 

local FSA county offices and 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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