CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET February 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – 

Virginia Southern Rivers

OVERVIEW

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

the Commonwealth of Virginia are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation Reserve 

Enhancement Program (CREP) to enroll up to 

15,000 acres of agricultural land in Appomattox, 

Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, 

Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesapeake, Craig, 

Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, 

Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Isle of Wight, 

Lee, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, 

Northampton, Nottoway, Patrick, Pittsylvania, 

Prince Edward, Prince George, Pulaski, Roanoke, 

Russell, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Suffolk, 

Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach, 

Washington, Wise and Wythe counties. The 

Virginia Southern Rivers 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 Virginia Southern Rivers 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 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, and 

enhance wildlife habitat in the area.

GOALS

The goals of the Virginia Southern Rivers CREP 

are to:

• Reduce sediments, nutrients, nitrogen and 

other pollutants from entering waterbodies;

• Reduce soil erosion;

• Improve water quality through wetland 

restoration; and

• Enhance wildlife habitat, including aquatic 

wildlife.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer;

• CP23, Wetland Restoration; and

• CP29, Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat 

Buffer.

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY 

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the Virginia Southern Rivers 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 
FACT SHEET

CREP - Virginia Southern Rivers February 2017

manner to an agricultural commodity. Marginal 

pastureland is also eligible for enrollment provided 

it is suitable for use as a riparian buffer. Persons 

who have an existing CRP contract are not eligible 

for CREP on that land until that contract expires.

PAYMENTS

Under the Virginia Southern Rivers CREP, eligible 

participants may receive the following payments:

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre for installing practices CP21, 

CP22 and CP29. 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 practices CP21, CP22, CP23 and 

CP29. 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

 (1) for cropland, the three predominant

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

 pastureland, the posted marginal

 pastureland rate for the county;

 o An incentive payment, as a percentage of

 the base soil rental rate, of 120 percent; and

 o A $5 maintenance payment.

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

eligible cost to install the approved practice.

In addition, the Commonwealth of Virginia 

provides the following payments to eligible 

participants:

• A one-time lump-sum incentive payment of 

$50 or $75 per acre, based on the length of the 

CRP contract; and

• A cost-share payment of up to 25 percent of 

the eligible cost for installing practices CP21, 

CP23 and CP29; and 50 percent of the eligible 

cost for installing practice CP22.

The Commonwealth of Virginia may also provide a 

tax credit to eligible landowners.

The total annual per acre payment, including the 

Commonwealth of Virginia incentives, shall not 

exceed $90.

EXAMPLES

A Halifax 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 $35 per acre. The 

incentive payment is $42 per acre ($35 x 1.20). 

The annual maintenance payment is $5 per acre. 

The producer’s annual rental rate will be $82 per 

acre ($35 + $42 + $5), for a total annual payment 

of $820 ($82 x 10 acres). The producer will receive 

$12,300 in annual rental payments over the 15-year 

term of the CRP contract. In addition, the producer 

will receive the following payments:

• A SIP of $1,000 (10 acres x $100);

• Cost-share payments from FSA equal to 

50 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the practice;

• Cost-share payments from the Commonwealth 

of Virginia equal to 50 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable costs to install the practice;

• A PIP equal to 40 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable costs to install the practice; and

• A one-time incentive payment from the 

Commonwealth of Virginia of $750 ($75 x 

10 acres).

A Lee County producer elects to enroll 10 acres of

land to be devoted to marginal pastureland wildlife 

habitat buffer (practice CP29) in a 15-year contract. 

The base soil rental rate for the land is $36 per 

acre. The incentive payment is $43 per acre ($36 x 

1.20). The annual maintenance payment is $5 per 

acre. The producer’s annual rental rate will be 

$84 per acre ($36 + $43 + $5), for a total annual 

payment of $840 ($84 x 10 acres). The producer 

will receive $12,600 in annual rental payments 

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

addition, the producer will receive the following 

payments:

• A SIP of $1,000 (10 acres x $100);

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• Cost-share payments from FSA equal to 

50 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the practice;

• Cost-share payments from the Commonwealth 

of Virginia equal to 25 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable costs to install the practice;

• A PIP equal to 40 percent of the eligible 

reimbursable costs to install the practice; and

• A one-time incentive payment from the 

Commonwealth of Virginia of $750 ($75 x 

10 acres).

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 

Virginia Southern Rivers CREP provides additional 

benefits not available through the general and/or 

continuous signup. Under the Virginia Southern 

Rivers CREP, producers receive higher incentive 

payments that increase the total amount of rental 

payments received. In addition, the Commonwealth 

of Virginia provides additional cost-share payments 

to eligible producers.

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 - Virginia Southern Rivers February 2017

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