CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET January 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – North Central Iowa

OVERVIEW

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

the State of Iowa are partners in implementing a 

voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 9,000 acres of 

agricultural land in Boone, Buena Vista, Butler, 

Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, 

Dallas, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Franklin, 

Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, 

Hardin, Humboldt, Jasper, Kossuth, Madison, 

Marshall, Mitchell, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, 

Pocahontas, Polk, Sac, Story, Warren, Webster, 

Winnebago, Worth and Wright counties. The North 

Central Iowa CREP is intended to improve water 

quality, reduce soil erosion, reduce the amount 

of sediment, phosphorous and other pollutants 

entering waterbodies, improve wildlife habitat and 

restore wetlands.

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 

agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but 

instead used for conservation benefits. CRP 

participants establish permanent, resourceconserving 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 costshare 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 North Central Iowa CREP, federal 

and state resources are made available to 

program participants to voluntarily enroll in CRP 

for 14-year to 15-year contracts. Participants 

remove cropland and marginal pastureland from 

agricultural production and convert the land 

to native grasses, trees and other vegetation or 

restore wetlands. This will improve water quality 

by reducing sediment, nutrients, nitrogen and 

other pollutants from entering streams and rivers, 

including the Lake Panorama Watershed, and 

enhance wildlife habitat in the area. It will also 

reduce water treatment costs for the city of Des 

Moines.

GOALS

The goals of the North Central Iowa CREP are to:

• Reduce the amount of sediment, nutrients, 

nitrogen and other pollutants entering 

waterbodies;

• Reduce soil erosion;

• Improve water quality through wetland 

restoration;

• Enhance wildlife habitat, including aquatic 

wildlife; and

• Increase recreational opportunities.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer; and

• CP23, Wetland Restoration.

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the North Central Iowa CREP 

is on a continuous basis. To be eligible, land 

must be located in the project area and be either 

cropland or marginal pastureland. Cropland must 

meet cropping history criteria and be physically 

and legally capable of being planted in a normal 

manner to an agricultural commodity. Marginal 
FACT SHEET

CREP - North Central Iowa January 2017

pastureland is also eligible for enrollment provided 

it is suitable for use as an eligible riparian buffer.

PAYMENTS

Under the North Central Iowa CREP, eligible 

participants may receive the following payments:

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre for installing practices CP21 

and CP22. Example: 10 acres enrolled to be 

devoted to practice CP22 result in a $1,000 

(10 acres x $100) SIP. This payment is made 

soon after the contract has been signed and 

approved.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

for installing practice CP21, CP22 or CP23. 

The PIP is equal to 40 percent of eligible cost 

of installing the practice. Example: Producer’s 

total eligible cost of installing the practice is 

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

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o A base soil rental rate, determined by the

 three predominant soils of the land offered;

 o An incentive payment, as a percentage of

 the base soil rental rate, of 50 percent for

 CP23 and 40 percent for CP21 and CP22;

 and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the

 practice offered.

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

eligible cost to install the approved practice.

In addition, the State of Iowa provides the 

following payments for installing practice CP23:

• A one-time lump-sum incentive payment 

based on a formula that considers land values, 

landowner time investment and the discounted 

value of the annual base rental payment of the 

CRP contract.

• A cost-share payment of 10 percent of the 

eligible cost to install the approved practice.

EXAMPLES

A Butler County producer elects to enroll 10 acres 

of land to be devoted to a riparian buffer (practice 

CP22) in a 15-year contract. The base soil rental 

rate for the land is $249 per acre. The incentive 

payment is $100 per acre ($249 x .40). The 

annual maintenance payment is $10 per acre. The 

producer’s annual rental rate will be $359 per acre 

($249 + $100 + $10), for a total annual payment of 

$3,590 ($359 x 10 acres). In addition, the producer 

will receive a one-time SIP of $1,000. The 

producer will receive cost-share payments equal 

to 50 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the riparian buffer, plus a one-time PIP equal 

to 40 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the riparian buffer. The producer will receive 

$53,850 in annual rental payments over the 15-year 

term of the CRP contract.

A Boone County producer elects to enroll 

15 acres of land to be devoted to a restored wetland 

(practice CP23) in a 15-year contract. The base 

soil rental rate for the land is $256 per acre. The 

incentive payment is $128 per acre ($256 x .50). 

The producer’s annual rental rate will be $384 

per acre ($256 + $128) for a total annual payment 

of $5,760 ($384 x 15 acres). The producer will 

receive cost-share payments equal to 50 percent 

of the eligible reimbursable costs to install the 

restored wetland, plus a one-time PIP equal to 

40 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs 

to install the restored wetland, plus cost-share 

payments from the State of Iowa equal to 

10 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs. This 

results in the producer having no cost to install 

the practice. The producer will receive $86,400 in 

annual rental payments over the 15-year term of 

the CRP contract, plus the producer will receive 

a one-time lump-sum payment from the State of 

Iowa based on the land value, producer’s time 

investment and discounted value of the annual base 

rental payment of the CRP contract.

Note: The preceding are examples only.

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

CREP is another option under CRP that farmers 

and ranchers may select to enhance their land. 

Eligible producers may still enroll land in CRP 

through general or continuous signup; however, 

the North Central Iowa CREP provides additional 

benefits not available through general and/or

continuous signup. Under the North Central 

Iowa CREP, producers receive higher incentive 

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payments and longer contract lengths that increase 

the total amount of rental 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.

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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 - North Central Iowa January 2017

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