FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Page 1

February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - Oregon State

Overview

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), 

the Commodity Credit Corporation 

(CCC), and the state of Oregon have 

agreed to implement a voluntary 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to improve the water 

quality of streams providing habitat 

for nine salmon and two trout species 

listed under the Federal Endangered 

Species Act.

The project area includes all streams 

in Oregon providing habitat for the 

endangered salmon and trout species 

that cross agricultural lands.

Goals

Goals of the Oregon CREP include:

•	 Reducing water temperature to 

natural levels; 

•	 Reducing by 50 percent the sediment and nutrient pollution from 

agricultural lands adjacent to 

streams; 

•	 Stabilizing stream banks along 

critical salmon and trout streams; 

•	 Restoring natural hydraulic and 

stream channel conditions on 

2,000 miles of streams.

 Program Authorities

The Oregon CREP is authorized to 

enroll up to 95,000 acres of riparian 

buffers and filter strips, plus 5,000

acres of wetlands, for a total maximum acreage of 100,000.

Program Responsibilities

The total program cost is estimated 

at $250 million. Of this, CCC will 

provide 80 percent and the state of Oregon or other non-federal sources will 

provide 20 percent of the total cost.

CCC will pay applicable land rental 

costs, 50 percent of the cost of establishing conservation practices, an 

annual maintenance incentive, and 

a portion of the costs of providing 

technical assistance.

The state of Oregon will pay 25 

percent of the cost of establishing 

conservation practices, all the costs of 

the annual monitoring program, and 

a portion of the technical assistance 

costs.

Payments and Incentives

Annual rental payments will be based 

on the soil rental rate, as calculated 

by FSA. Rates for irrigated cropland 

may be paid on the condition that the 

participant also signs an agreement 

with the State to lease irrigation water 

for in-stream use.

In addition to annual rental rates and 

maintenance incentive payments under the CRP contract, CCC will make 

an annual incentive payment at the 

following rates:

•	 For filter strips: 25 percent of the

normal rental rate 

•	 For wetland restoration and riparian buffers: 50 percent 

Eligible Practices

Eligible CRP practices are:

•	 CP 21 (Filter Strip)

•	 CP 22 (Riparian Buffer)

•	 CP 23 (Wetland Restoration)

•	 CP 29 (Marginal Pastureland 

Wildlife Habitat Buffer)

•	 CP 30 (Marginal Pastureland 

Wetland Buffer)

Producers may also offer eligible 

acreage for general or continuous CRP 

signup.

Eligibility

In addition to offering acreage along 

salmon and trout streams, the applicant must satisfy the basic eligibility 

criteria for CRP.

Land must be cropland that has been 

cropped four out of the past six years 

(2002-2007) that is physically and 

legally capable of being cropped. 

Marginal pastureland is also eligible 

to be enrolled provided that it is 

suitable for use as a riparian buffer 

planted to trees.

Producers are eligible if the land has 

been owned or operated for at least 

one year prior to enrollment. Land 

with an existing CRP contract or an 

approved offer with a contract pending are not eligible for CREP until that 

contract expires.

CREP enrollment will be on a continuous basis. Producers can sign up 

at the local USDA Service Center.

Note: Haying and grazing are not 

permitted during the CRP contract 

period unless FSA allows them for 

emergency or managed haying and 

grazing purposes, if applicable, under 

normal CRP rules.

More Information 

More information on the Oregon 

CREP is available at local FSA county 

offices, on FSA’s Web site at: www.

fsa.usda.gov and on Oregon Department of Natural Resource’s Web site 

at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/

NRD/water_crep.shtml

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, 

familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, 

reprisal, or because all of part of an individual’s 

income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

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

and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office 

of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, 

DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 

(English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-

8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 

(Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.