CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET February 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program –

Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer

OVERVIEW

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

State of Idaho are partners in implementing a voluntary 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) 

to enroll up to 50,000 acres in Ada, Bannock, Bingham, 

Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Cassia, Clark, Custer, 

Elmore, Fremont, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Lemhi, 

Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Owyhee, Power and Twin 

Falls counties. This will reduce irrigation water use, 

improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat 

through the establishment native and other grasses, 

trees, rare and declining habitat and riparian buffers.

BACKGROUND

CREP is a 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, 

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 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 Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer 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 

irrigated cropland from agricultural production 

and convert the land to native grasses, trees and 

other vegetation. This will reduce irrigation water 

consumption, improve water quantity and quality in 

the Snake River and its tributaries and provide wildlife 

habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species.

GOALS

The goals of the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer 

CREP are to:

• Reduce irrigation water use on cropland acres;

• Increase the aquifer’s groundwater levels and 

tributary spring water discharge;

• Improve wildlife habitat and populations within the 

project area;

• Enhance habitat for fish species by increasing 

stream flow;

• Reduce the amount of sediment, nitrogen, 

phosphorous and other pollutants from reaching 

streams and other waterbodies in the project area; 

and

• Reduce irrigation water pumping power 

consumption.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices are 

available:

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent Native Grasses;

• CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat, Non-Easement;

• CP12, Wildlife Food Plot;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer; and

• CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat.

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer 

CREP is on a continuous basis. To be eligible, cropland 

must be located in the project area, meet cropping 

history criteria and be physically and legally capable 

of being planted in a normal manner to an agricultural 

commodity, meet minimum irrigation requirements and 

be physically and legally capable of being irrigated in a 

normal manner when offered for enrollment. Applicants 

must enter into a water use contract with the State of 

Idaho.

PAYMENTS

Under the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer CREP, 

eligible participants may receive the following 

payments:
FACT SHEET

CREP - Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer February 2017

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) of $100 

per acre for installing practice 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 after the contract has been signed

 and approved.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) equal 

to 40 percent of the eligible cost to install practice 

CP22. Example: Producer’s total eligible cost for 

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 cost to install the approved conservation 

practice.

• An annual rental payment consisting of:

 o The weighted-average per-acre irrigated

 cropland rental rate; and

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the 

 practice offered.

In addition, the State of Idaho provides a one-time 

incentive payment of $30 per acre for land enrolled 

within a specific portion of the project area.

EXAMPLES

A Jefferson County producer elects to enroll 10 acres 

of irrigated cropland to be devoted to a riparian buffer 

(practice CP22) in a 15-year contract. The rental rate 

for the land is $130 per acre. The annual maintenance 

payment is $10 per acre. The producer’s annual 

rental rate will be $140 per acre ($130 + $10), for a 

total annual payment of $1,400 ($140 x 10 acres). In 

addition, the producer will receive a one-time SIP of 

$1,000. The State of Idaho will pay the producer $300. 

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 $21,000 

in annual rental payments over the 15-year term of the 

CRP contract.

A Butte County producer elects to enroll 40 acres 

of land to be devoted to a permanent native grasses 

(practice CP2) in a 15-year contract. The base soil rental 

rate for the land is $130 per acre. The producer’s total 

annual payment is $5,200 ($130 x 40 acres). The State 

of Idaho will pay the producer $1,200. The producer 

will receive cost-share payments equal to 50 percent of 

the eligible reimbursable costs to install the practice. 

The producer will receive $78,000 in annual rental 

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

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 land in CRP through general or continuous 

signup; however, the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer 

CREP provides additional benefits not available through 

general and/or continuous signup. Under the Idaho 

Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer CREP, producers receive 

payments at a higher per-acre rate and have 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 and 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.

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