CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET January 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program –

Nebraska – Platte-Republican Resources Area

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and 

the State of Nebraska are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 100,000 acres in 

portions of Banner, Buffalo, Chase, Cheyenne, 

Dawson, Deuel, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, 

Garden, Gosper, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, 

Kearney, Keith, Kimball, Lincoln, McPherson, 

Morrill, Nuckolls, Phelps, Red Willow, Scotts 

Bluff, Sioux and Webster counties. The Nebraska 

CREP is intended to reduce irrigation water use, 

improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat 

through the establishment of vegetative cover. The 

program also will help replenish streams, rivers 

and reservoirs.

BACKGROUND

CREP is part of the USDA Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP). CRP is a federally funded 

voluntary program that contracts with agricultural 

producers so that environmentally sensitive land 

is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for 

conservation benefits. CRP participants establish 

permanent, resource-conserving plant species, such 

as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) 

to control soil erosion, improve water quality 

and develop wildlife habitat. In return, the Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) provides participants with 

rental payments and cost-share assistance. CRP is 

authorized by the Food Security Act of 1985 and 

was reauthorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014.

With CREP, high-priority conservation goals are 

identified by the state, and then federal funds are 

supplemented with non-federal funds to achieve 

those goals.

Through the Nebraska Platte-Republican 

Resources Area CREP, federal and state resources 

are made available to program participants to 

voluntarily enroll in CRP for 10-year to 15-year 

contracts. Participants remove cropland from 

agricultural production and convert the land to 

native grasses, trees and other vegetation or restore 

wetlands. This will reduce irrigation water use, 

improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, reduce 

the amount of sediment, phosphorous and other 

pollutants entering waterbodies and improve 

wildlife habitat.

GOALS

The goals of the Nebraska Platte-Republican 

Resources Area CREP are to:

• Reduce the application of water for cropland 

irrigation;

• Increase surface and groundwater retention;

• Establish conservation buffers and restore 

wetlands;

• Reduce the application of triazine products;

• Reduce leaching of nitrate compounds into 

area streams and groundwater;

• Reduce the application of phosphate products;

• Reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels from 

agricultural activities;

• Establish native grassland habitat for wildlife 

and increase the populations of pheasants and 

other ground nesting birds; and

• Reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and 

electricity for irrigation.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent Native 

Grasses;

• CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat, NonEasement;

• CP12, Wildlife Food Plots;

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer;

• CP23, Wetland Restoration;

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain; 

and

• CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat.
FACT SHEET

CREP - Nebraska - Platte-Republican Resources Area January 2017

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the Nebraska Platte-Republican 

Resources Area CREP is on a continuous basis. To 

be eligible, land must be located in the project area 

and irrigated cropland or a non-irrigated centerpivot corner. Non-irrigated center-pivot corners 

are only eligible if enrolled with the associated 

irrigated center-pivot cropland. Cropland must 

meet cropping history criteria and be physically 

and legally capable of being planted in a normal 

manner to an agricultural commodity.

In addition, irrigated cropland must meet irrigation 

history requirements and must be physically and 

legally capable of being irrigated in a normal 

manner when offered for enrollment. Producers 

must also enter into a Water Use Contract with 

the State of Nebraska prior to enrollment in the 

Nebraska Platte-Republican Resources Area CREP.

PAYMENTS

Under the Nebraska Platte-Republican Resources 

Area CREP, eligible participants may receive the 

following payments:

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o A base soil rental rate, determined by

 (1) for irrigated cropland, the irrigated

 cropland rental rate for the applicable

 county; or (2) for non-irrigated cropland,

 the three predominant soils of the eligible

 land offered; and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by

 the practice.

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre enrolled for installing 

practices CP21 and CP22; and $150 per acre 

for installing practices CP23 and CP23A. 

Example: 10 acres enrolled to be devoted to 

practice CP21 result in a $1,000 (10 acres x 

$100) SIP. This payment is made after the 

contract has been signed and approved.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

for installing practices CP21, CP22, CP23 

and CP23A. The PIP is equal to 40 percent of 

the total eligible cost of installing the

 practice. Example: Producer’s total eligible

 reimbursable cost of installing the practice is

 $2,000. The PIP would be $800 ($2,000 x .40).

• A cost-share payment of up to 50 percent of 

the eligible reimbursable cost to install the 

approved conservation practice.

In addition, the State of Nebraska provides costshare payments for 50 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable cost to install the approved 

conservation practice.

EXAMPLES

A Morrill County producer elects to enroll 10 acres 

of irrigated cropland to be devoted to a filter strip 

(practice CP21) in a 15-year contract, and enters 

into a Water Use Contract with the state. The 

base soil rental rate for the land is $155 per acre. 

The annual maintenance payment is $10 per acre. 

The producer’s annual rental rate will be $165 

per acre ($155 + $10) for a total annual payment 

of $1,650 ($165 x 10 acres). The producer will 

receive $24,750 in annual rental payments over 

the 15-year term of the CRP contract. In addition, 

the producer will receive a one-time SIP of $1,000 

(10 acres x $100). The producer will receive 

cost-share payments equal to 50 percent of the 

eligible reimbursable costs to install the filter strip, 

plus a PIP equal to 40 percent of the cost of the 

eligible reimbursable costs to install the filter strip. 

In addition, the State of Nebraska will pay the 

producer cost-share payments equal to 50 percent 

of the eligible reimbursable costs to install the filter 

strip.

A Lincoln County producer elects to enroll 

160 acres of irrigated cropland to be devoted to 

native grasses (practice CP2) in a 15-year contract, 

and enters into a Water Use Contract with the 

state. The base soil rental rate for the land is $210 

per acre. The producer’s total annual payment 

of $33,600 ($210 x 160 acres). The producer 

will receive $504,000 in annual rental payments 

over the 15-year term of the CRP contract. The 

producer will receive cost-share payments equal 

to 50 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the native grasses. In addition, the State of 

Nebraska will pay the producer cost-share

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payments equal to 50 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable costs to install the native grasses.

Note: The preceding are examples only.

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

CREP is another option under CRP that farmers 

may select to enhance their land. Eligible 

producers may still enroll in CRP through general 

or continuous signup; however, the Nebraska 

Platte-Republican Resources Area CREP provides 

additional benefits not available through general 

and/or continuous signup. Under the Nebraska 

Platte-Republican Resources Area CREP, 

producers receive higher annual rental payments 

and longer contract lengths that increase the total 

amount of payments received.

HAYING AND GRAZING

Haying and grazing are not allowed during the 

CRP contract period unless authorized by USDA. 

Contact your local FSA office for more information 

about authorized haying and grazing activities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

This fact sheet is provided for informational 

purposes only; other restrictions or requirements 

may apply. For more information on CREP, contact 

your local FSA office. To find your local FSA 

county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. To 

learn more about FSA conservation programs, visit 

www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation.

_________________________________________

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, 

its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in 

or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating 

based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 

status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 

program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 

rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by 

USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint 

filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, 

American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency 

or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 

contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at 

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA 

office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter 

all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or 

letter to USDA by:

1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant

 Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW

 Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

FACT SHEET

CREP - Nebraska - Platte-Republican Resources Area January 2017

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