Fact Sheet

Conservation Reserve Program -

Washington State Enhancement Program

October 1998

Background

USDAs Farm Service Agency

(FSA), Commodity Credit

Corporation (CCC), and the State of

Washington have agreed to implement a voluntary Conservation

Reserve Enhancement Program

(CREP) to improve the water quality

of streams providing habitat for

salmon species listed under the

Federal Endangered Species Act.

The project area includes all streams

in Washington crossing agricultural

lands providing spawning habitat for

the endangered salmon species.

Program Authorities

The Washington State

Enhancement Program is

authorized to enroll up to 100,000

acres to be devoted to riparian

buffers planted to trees.

Program Responsibilities

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 Washington will pay

37.5 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.

For installing the riparian buffer,

producers will receive each year an

incentive payment 50 percent above

the annual per acre rental rate.

Additionally, producers will receive a

10-percent incentive payment for

lands protected as agricultural lands

under the Washington Growth

Management Act.

Eligible Practices

The eligible CRP practice will be

CP 22 (Riparian Buffer Area)

Producers may also offer eligible

acreage for general or continuous

CRP signup.

Eligibility

In addition to offering acreage along

salmon streams, the application

must satisfy the basic eligibility

criteria for CRP.

Land must be cropland that has

been cropped 2 out of the past 5

years 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 is not eligible for CREP until

that contract expires.

CREP enrollment will be on a

continuous basis beginning

January 1, 1999. Producers can

sign up at the local USDA Service

Center.

Information about CREP is available

at State FSA offices and the FSA

website at www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/

cepd/crpinfo.htm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

prohibits discrimination in all its programs and

activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family

status. (Not all prohibited 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 USDA,

Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W,

Whitten Building, 14th and Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or

call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is

an equal opportunity provider and employer.