Conservation Reserve 

Program 

CLEAN LAKES, ESTUARIES AND RIVERS (CLEAR) 

INITIATIVE 

What is the Clean Lakes, 

Estuaries and Rivers 

(CLEAR) Initiative?

The Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers 

(CLEAR) Initiative of CRP prioritizes 

water quality practices on the land that, 

if enrolled, will help reduce sediment 

loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful 

algal blooms.

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 

provides farmers and landowners with 

different signup types, practices and 

initiatives like this to achieve many farming 

and conservation goals.

CLEAR Practices:

• CP-8A – Grass Waterways

• CP-15A – Contour Grass Strips

• CP-15B – Contour Grass Strips on 

Terraces

• CP-21 – Filter Strips

• CP21B – Denitrifying Bioreactor on 

Filter Strip

• CP21S – Saturated Filter Strips

• CP22 – Riparian Buffer

• CP22B – Denitrifying Bioreactor on 

Riparian Buffers

• CP22S – Saturated Riparian Buffer

• CP23 – Wetland Restoration

• CP23A – Wetland Restoration, Non 

flood plain

• CP29 – Marginal Pastureland Wildlife 

Habitat Buffer

• CP30 – Marginal Pastureland Wetland 

Buffer

• CP31 – Bottomland Timber 

Establishment on Wetlands

• CP37 – Duck Nesting Habitat

• CP43 – Prairie Strip

CLEAR Initiative Impacts

• Decreased Erosion

• Improved Water Quality

• Increase Wildlife Habitat

Financial Benefits

• 10-15 years of annual rental payments

• Payments of up to 50% Cost-Share for 

practice

• establishment

• Practices enrolled 

through CRP 

Continuous Signup 

also receive

– 50% Practice 

Incentive 

Payment (PIP)

– 20% Water 

quality Incentive 

3,5, or 10% 

Climate Smart 

Practice incentive 

based on the 

cover type

– Sign-up Incentive 

Payment (SIP) 

equal to 32.5% 

of first full year’s 

annual rental 

payment.

A New 

Practice 

Called Prairie 

Strips

CP-43 Prairie Strips 

is a new practice 

under the Continuous 

Conservation Reserve 

Program (CRP) Clean 

Lakes, Estuaries 

and Rivers (CLEAR) 

Initiative. 

The prairie strips 

practice establishes 

diverse perennial 

vegetation, oriented 

linearly within row crops 

fields. Prairie strips may 

MAY 2022 PRAIRIE STRIP PRACTICE
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CRP CLEAR INITIATIVE 2

not exceed 25% of the cropland area 

per tract and range from 30-120 feet 

in width. Machinery traffic is allowed 

on locations that replace

turn rows on the perimeter of the 

field. Prairie strips reduce soil erosion, 

improve water quality and provide 

wildlife habitat.

How are Prairie Strips Different? 

Allows a conservation planner to work 

with a client to establish perennial 

vegetation in locations to reduce 

erosion and intercept water flow, while 

making it farmable.

A combination of NRCS practice 

standards

• 327 Conservation Cover

• 332 Contour Grass Strip

• 386 Field Border

• 393 Filter Strip

Where can Prairie Strips be placed? In 

row crop production systems:

• Around the field

• Through the field

• In terrace channels

• Next to waterways

• Pivot corners

More Information

For more information, contact your 

local service center and USDA Farm 

Service Agency office: farmers.gov/

service-locator.