CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET January 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – Indiana

OVERVIEW

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

the State of Indiana are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 26,250 acres in 

all or a portion of Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, 

Benton, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clay, 

Daviess, Decatur, Delaware, Dubois, Fountain, 

Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Green, Hamilton, Hancock, 

Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jay, 

Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Jasper, Knox, 

Kosciusko, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, 

Martin, Miami, Monroe, Morgan, Montgomery, 

Noble, Orange, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Pulaski, 

Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Starke, Sullivan, Tipton, 

Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, 

Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wells, 

White and Whitley counties. The Indiana CREP 

is intended to improve water quality, reduce 

soil erosion, reduce the amount of sediment, 

phosphorous and other pollutants entering 

waterbodies and improve wildlife habitat through 

the establishment of riparian buffers, filter strips, 

native grasses and trees and the restoration of 

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 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 Indiana CREP, federal and state 

resources are made available 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, reduce soil erosion, reduce 

the amount of sediment, phosphorous and other 

pollutants entering waterbodies and improve 

wildlife habitat.

GOALS

The goals of the Indiana CREP are to:

• Protect a minimum of 3,000 linear miles of 

watercourses with buffer practices;

• Reduce sediments, nutrients and agricultural 

chemicals entering watercourses;

• Restore and protect wetlands; and

• Improve habitat terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent Native 

Grasses;

• CP3A, Hardwood Tree Planting;

• CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat, NonEasement;

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer;

• CP23, Wetland Restoration;

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain; 

and

• CP31, Bottomland Timber Establishment.
FACT SHEET

CREP - Indiana January 2017

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the Indiana 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 

pastureland is also eligible for enrollment provided 

it is suitable for use as a riparian buffer planted to 

trees.

PAYMENTS

Under the Indiana CREP, eligible participants may 

receive the following payments:

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

the eligible reimbursable cost to install the 

approved conservation practice.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

for installing practices CP21, CP22, CP23, 

CP23A and CP31. The PIP is equal to 40 

percent of the total eligible cost of installing 

the practice. Example: Producer’s total eligible 

reimbursable cost for installing the practice is 

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

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre for installing practices 

CP21, CP22 and CP31; 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.

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o A base soil rental rate, determined by

 (1) for cropland, the three predominant

 soils of the eligible land offered; or (2) for

 marginal pastureland, the posted marginal

 pastureland rate for the county;

 o An incentive, as a percentage of the base

 soil rental rate, of 40 percent; and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the 

 practice offered.

In addition, the State of Indiana provides the 

following payments:

• A one-time incentive payment of $400 per acre 

for CP3A, CP22 and CP31;

• A one-time incentive payment of $950 per acre 

for newly enrolled CP23 and CP23A;

• A one-time incentive payment of $100 per acre 

for CP2, CP4D and CP21; and

• A one-time incentive payment of $400 per acre 

for re-enrolled CP23 and CP23A.

EXAMPLES

A Benton County producer elects to enroll 

10 acres of land to be devoted to a filter strip 

(practice CP21) in a 15-year contract. The base 

soil rental rate for the land is $224 per acre. The 

incentive payment is $90 per acre ($224 x .40). 

The annual maintenance payment is $10 per acre. 

The producer’s annual rental rate will be $324 per 

acre ($224 + $90 + $10) for a total annual payment 

of $3,240 ($324 x 10 acres). The producer will 

receive $48,600 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 costshare 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 Indiana will pay the producer 

a one-time incentive payment equal to $1,000.

A Decatur County producer elects to enroll 

20 acres of land to restore a wetland (practice 

CP23) in a 15-year contract. The base soil rental 

rate for the land is $223 per acre. The incentive 

payment is $90 per acre ($223 x .40). The 

producer’s annual rental rate will be $313 per acre 

($223 + $90) for a total annual payment of $6,260 

($313 x 20 acres). The producer will receive 

$93,900 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 

restore the wetland, plus a PIP equal to 40 percent 

of the cost. In addition, the State of Indiana will 

pay the producer a one-time incentive payment 

equal to $19,000.

Note: The preceding are examples only.

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ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

CREP is another option under CRP that farmers 

and ranchers may select to enhance their land. 

Eligible producers may still enroll in CRP through 

general or continuous signup; however, the Indiana 

CREP provides additional benefits not available 

through the general and/or continuous signup. 

Under the Indiana CREP, producers receive higher 

incentive 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 - Indiana January 2017

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