CONSERVATION

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY FACT SHEET January 2017

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program – Wisconsin

OVERVIEW

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

the State of Wisconsin are partners in implementing 

a voluntary Conservation Reserve Enhancement 

Program (CREP) to enroll up to 100,000 acres in all 

or a portion of Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, 

Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, 

Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, 

Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond Du Lac, Grant, Green, Green 

Lake, Iowa, Iron, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La 

Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, 

Monroe, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, 

Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Shawano, 

Sheboygan, St. Croix, Vernon, Walworth, Waukesha, 

Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago and Wood counties. 

The Wisconsin 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, native and 

other grasses, grass waterways 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, 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 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 Wisconsin 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, reduce soil erosion, reduce the amount of 

sediment, phosphorous and other pollutants entering 

waterbodies and improve wildlife habitat.

GOALS

The goals of the Wisconsin CREP are to:

• Reduce sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen and 

other pollutants entering streams and other 

waterbodies;

• Restore and protect wetlands; and

• Improve wildlife habitat for grassland birds and 

other wildlife.

ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The following specific CRP conservation practices 

are available:

• CP1, Establishment of Permanent Introduced 

Grasses and Legumes;

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent Native 

Grasses;

• CP8A, Grass Waterways;

• CP21, Filter Strips;

• CP22, Riparian Buffer;

• CP23, Wetland Restoration;

• CP23A, Wetland Restoration, Non-Floodplain;

• CP25, Rare and Declining Habitat;

• CP29, Marginal Pastureland Wildlife Habitat 

Buffer; and

• CP30, Marginal Pastureland Wetland Buffer.

ENROLLMENT AND ELIGIBILITY

REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment for the Wisconsin 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 
FACT SHEET

CREP - Wisconsin January 2017

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.

Participants must enter into a perpetual easement or 

an agreement for the term of the CRP contract. The 

perpetual easement and agreement are between the 

participant and the State of Wisconsin.

PAYMENTS

Under the Wisconsin CREP, eligible participants may 

receive the following payments:

• A one-time signing incentive payment (SIP) 

of $100 per acre for installing practices CP8A, 

CP21 and CP22. 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.

• A one-time practice incentive payment (PIP) 

equal to 40 percent of the eligible reimbursable 

cost to install practices CP8A, CP21 and CP22. 

Example: Producer’s total eligible reimbursable 

cost for 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

 eligible land offered; or (2) for marginal

 pastureland, the posted marginal pastureland

 rate for the county;

 o A maintenance payment, determined by the

 practice offered; and

 o An incentive, as a percentage of the base soil

 rental rate, determined by the land and

 practice offered (see table below).

Practice Land Location* Incentive

CP1, CP2, CP8A, 

CP21, CP22 and 

CP29

Grassland and 

Riparian Project 

Area

35 percent

CP23, CP23A and 

CP25

60 percent

CP8A, CP21, CP22, 

CP23, CP23A, CP29 

and CP30

Lake Superior 

Basin Project Area

85 percent

*Contact your local USDA service center FSA office 

for information about the project areas.

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

eligible reimbursable cost to install the approved 

conservation practice.

In addition, the State of Wisconsin provides the 

following payments:

• An incentive payment in an amount equal to 

20 percent of the eligible reimbursable cost of 

installing the approved practice.

• For land enrolled in the state’s perpetual 

easement, a one-time payment equal to:

 o 12 times the CRP base soil rental rate times 

 the number of acres enrolled for land located

 in the grassland and riparian project areas; and

 o 24 times the CRP base soil rental rate times

 the number of acres enrolled for land located

 in the Lake Superior project area.

• For land enrolled in the state’s agreement 

program, a one-time payment equal to:

 o 1.5 times the CRP base soil rental rate times

 the number of acres enrolled for land located

 in the grassland and riparian project areas; and

 o 2.5 times the CRP base soil rental rate times

 the number of acres enrolled for land located

 in the Lake Superior project area.

EXAMPLES

An Iron County producer elects to enroll 10 acres of 

land to be devoted to a filter strip (practice CP21) in a 

15-year contract, and enters into a perpetual easement 

with the state. The base soil rental rate for the land is 

$41 per acre. The incentive payment is $35 per acre 

($41 x .85). The annual maintenance payment is $10 

per acre. The producer’s annual rental rate will be $86 

per acre ($41 + $35 + $10) for a total annual payment 

of $860 ($86 x 10 acres). The producer will receive 

$12,900 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 cost-share 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 Wisconsin will 

pay the producer an incentive payment equal to 

20 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to install 

the filter strip. The state will also pay the producer 

$9,840 ($41 x 10 acres x 24) for entering into the 

perpetual easement.

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A Lafayette County producer elects to enroll 

20 acres of land to be devoted to native grasses 

(practice CP2) in a 15-year contract, and enters into a 

state agreement that is concurrent with the term of the 

CRP contract. The base soil rental rate for the land 

is $240 per acre. The incentive payment is $84 per 

acre ($240 x .35). The producer’s annual rental rate 

will be $324 per acre ($240 + $84) for a total annual 

payment of $6,480 ($324 x 20 acres). The producer 

will receive $97,200 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 install the native 

grasses. In addition, the State of Wisconsin will pay 

the producer an incentive payment equal to

20 percent of the eligible reimbursable costs to 

install the native grasses. The state will also pay the 

producer $7,200 ($240 x 20 acres x 1.5) for entering 

into the state agreement.

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 in CRP through general 

or continuous signup; however, the Wisconsin 

CREP provides additional benefits not available 

through general and/or continuous signup. Under the 

Wisconsin 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 - Wisconsin January 2017

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