FACT SHEET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

Page 1

February 2011

 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - Ohio - Scotio River Watershed

Overview

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a federal-state 

natural resource conservation program 

that addresses state and nationally 

significant agricultural related environmental problems. Under CREP, program 

participants receive financial incentives 

from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) 

to voluntarily enroll in the Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP) in contracts of up 

to 15-years. Participants remove cropland 

and marginal pastureland from agricultural 

production and convert the land to native 

grasses, trees and other vegetation. CRP 

is authorized by the Food Security Act of 

1985, as amended. 

The Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP 

targets the enrollment of 70,000 acres of 

land in 31 counties in the Scioto River 

Watershed. Of this amount, 5,000 acres 

are targeted for voluntary permanent 

conservation easements granted to the state 

of Ohio. 

The program is a cooperative project 

among landowners, FSA, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and 

local Soil and Water Conservation Districts 

(SWCD). Other partners include the city of 

Columbus, the Nature Conservancy, Ducks 

Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, the Ohio 

Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio State 

University.

Benefits

The program will reduce agricultural 

pollution, soil erosion and the risk of 

downstream flooding throughout the watershed. This will improve drinking water 

for Columbus and surrounding communities. The program will help restore wildlife 

habitat for abundant species, including 33 

threatened or endangered fish and mussel 

species. In addition, the CREP will reduce 

atmospheric emissions by sequestering soil 

carbon and will help reduce hypoxia in the 

Gulf of Mexico.

Goals 

The goals of the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP are to: 

• Enroll 70,000 acres of eligible cropland and marginal pastureland into 

CREP for the establishment of grass 

filter strips, controlled drainage water 

management components, riparian 

forest buffers, wetlands and wildlife 

habitat; 

• Seek 5,000 acres of state permanent 

conservation easements through state 

and private contributions; 

• Improve the quality of public drinking water supplies in Columbus, 

Ohio, and surrounding communities; 

• Ensure that water quality standards 

are in accordance with the Clean 

Water Act; 

• Reduce agricultural chemicals in 

public water supplies to below 

acceptable levels provided in the 

Environmental Protection Act. 

• Annually reduce:

1. Sediment loading by 20 percent, 

from 350,000 metric tons to 280,000 

metric tons. 

2. Phosphorus loading by 20 percent, 

from 1,000 metric tons to 800 metric 

tons. 

3. Nitrate-N loading by 30 percent, 

from 20,000 metric tons to 14,000 

metric tons. 

• Restore wetlands to improve water 

quality in the affected watersheds; 

• Increase wildlife habitat by at least 

15 percent to benefit wetland, grassland and riparian corridor species, 

such as migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, neo-tropical migrant birds, 

non-game grassland birds, reptiles 

and amphibians. 

• Improve the distribution and abundance of 31 threatened or endangered 

fish and mussel species, including: 

1. Clubshell mussel, federally endangered. 

2. Northern riffleshell mussel, federally 

endangered. 

3. Washboard mussel, state endangered. 

4. Scotio Madtom fish, federally endangered

5. Spotted Darter fish, state endangered. 

• Reduce atmospheric emissions by 

planting hardwood trees, bottomland 

hardwood forests and long-term grass 

covers that will sequester an additional 1 billion pounds of soil carbon; and 

• Reduce nutrient loading to waters 

that may contribute to hypoxia in the 

Gulf of Mexico by installing riparian 

buffers adjacent to rivers and streams. 

Areas Included 

Landowners can offer eligible cropland 

and marginal pastureland adjacent to 

waterways in the Scioto River Watershed. 

This area includes 31 Ohio counties: Adams, Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, 

Clinton, Crawford, Delaware, Fairfield, 

Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hardin, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Knox, Licking, 

Logan, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Perry, 

Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross, Scioto, 

Union, Vinton and Wyandot.

Eligibility

In addition, cropland must meet cropping history criteria and be physically and 

legally capable of being cropped in a normal manner. Marginal pastureland along 

streams, watercourses and certain upland 

areas is also eligible for enrollment. 

Persons who have acreage under an existing CRP contract or an approved offer with 

a contract pending are ineligible for CREP 

on that acreage until that contract expires. 

Other requirements will also apply. Interested producers should contact their local 

FSA county office for specific information 

regarding their eligibility for CREP.

Sign-up and Contract Duration 

Sign-up for the CREP will continue until 

enrollment goals are attained and for as 

long as there is statutory authority for 

CRP. Land enrolled in the program remains under contract for a period of 14 to 

15 years, as specified in the contract.

Approved Conservation Measures

To better serve program goals, the following CRP conservation practices are 

approved for the Ohio Scioto River Watershed CREP: 

• CP1 - Establishment of Permanent 

Introduced Grasses and Legumes 

(a minimum of three cool-season 

grasses and one forb required); 

• CP2 - Establishment of Permanent 

Native Grasses; 

• CP3 - Tree Planting; 
FACT SHEET

CREP - Ohio - Scotio River Watershed February 2011

• CP3A - Hardwood Tree Planting; 

• CP4D - Permanent Wildlife Habitat, 

Non-easement; 

• CP9 - Shallow Water Areas for 

Wildlife; 

• CP10 - Vegetative Cover - Grass - 

Already Established; 

• CP15A - Establishment of Permanent 

Vegetative Cover (Contour Grass 

Strips); 

• CP21 - Filter Strips; 

• CP22 - Riparian Buffer; 

• CP23 – Wetland Restoration

• CP23A - Wetland Restoration, NonFloodplain; 

• CP25 - Rare and Declining Habitat; 

• CP29 - Marginal Pastureland Wildlife 

Habitat Buffer; 

• CP30 - Marginal Pastureland Wetland 

Buffer; and 

• CP31 - Bottomland Timber Establishment on Wetlands.

Payments 

Subject to contract terms and certain limitations, CREP participants will be eligible 

for the following types of FSA payments: 

• Signing Incentive Payment: A 

one-time payment consistent with 

Handbook 2-CRP for land enrolled 

under approved specific conservation practices according to the CREP 

agreement. This payment is made 

after the contract has been signed and 

approved. 

• Practice Incentive Payment: A onetime payment equal to 40 percent 

of the eligible reimbursable cost 

of approved specific conservation 

practices according to the CREP 

agreement. 

• Wetland Restoration Incentive Payment: A one-time payment that is 25 

percent of the required hydrologic 

restoration costs for conservation 

practices CP23 and CP23A. 

• Cost-share Assistance: Cost-share of 

up to 50 percent for the installation of 

approved conservation practices. 

• Annual Rental Payment: An annual 

payment for the life of the contract. 

The payment consists of three components: 

1. Base Soil Rental Rate, which is determined by calculating the normal CRP 

weighted average soil rental rate for 

the three predominant soil types using the current posted soil rental rates 

for cropland offers. For marginal 

pastureland, the base rental rates for 

cropland will be used. 

2. Incentive Payment of 50 percent for 

land established as a CP1 or CP10 

practice; 75 percent for land established as a CP3, CP4D, CP15A or 

CP21 practice; 100 percent for land 

established as a CP2, CP3A, CP4D, 

CP9, CP21, CP22, CP23, CP23A, 

CP25, CP29, CP30 or CP31 practice; 

and 0 percent for land established 

as a CP21 practice or land enrolled 

under infeasible-to-farm provisions. 

3. Annual Maintenance Payment in an 

amount consistent with applicable 

CRP procedures. 

Partnerships and Assistance

The State of Ohio, in collaboration with 

public and private partners, will: 

• Contribute no less than 20 percent 

of the overall annual program costs, 

including payments to participants 

and in-kind contributions to private 

and public partners such as SWCD, 

the city of Columbus and non-governmental organizations. 

• Enter into separate cost-share agreements and make incentive payments 

for livestock exclusion fencing for 

riparian land in a CP21, CP22, CP25, 

CP29, CP30 or CP31 practice. 

• Make one-time incentive payments of 

up to $40 per acre for the installation 

of warm season grass seedings. 

• Make one-time incentive payments 

of up to $500 per acre for certain 

wetland restoration and wildlife 

habitat practices, not to exceed 10 

acres per tract. 

• Offer voluntary permanent conservation easements on 5,000 enrolled 

acres to be funded by the Nature 

Conservancy, other private partners 

and, if available, through the state. 

• Provide appropriate technical and 

other program assistance. 

Cost 

The total cost over a 15-year period is estimated at $207.3 million, with FSA contributing $151.3 million and the State of Ohio 

and local partners funding $56 million. 

The $207.3 million does not include any 

costs that may be assumed by producers.

CREP and CRP 

CREP is another option under CRP that 

farmers may select to enhance their land; 

applicants may still enroll eligible land 

in the regular general CRP or continuous 

sign-up CRP. However, CREP provides 

additional benefits not available through 

the general and/or continuous sign-up. For 

instance, CREP payments are at a higher 

effective rate. 

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 Ohio Scioto 

River Watershed CREP is available at local 

FSA county offices, on FSA’s Web site at: 

www.fsa.usda.gov and on ODNR’s Web 

site at: www.dnr.state.oh.us/soilandwater/ 

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.

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